Monday, September 24, 2018

Mermaids



Not all mermaids are the shimmering versions of femininity often seen in pop culture. In fact, those mermaids—which seem to be a combination of the Melusine and Greek mythology—barely skim the surface of this fish-human legend. Many countries and culture have their own versions of mermaids, from a snake water goddess to a fish with a monkey mouth. Some are benevolent, some ambivalent, and many are openly hostile to the poor humans who cross their paths.

1. JAPAN -  NINGYO
Vastly different than the Western version of a beautiful mermaid, this monster found in Japanese folklore is described as a giant fish with a human face and a monkey's mouth, and sometimes even horns and fangs. In a serious conflict of interest, anyone who eats the Ningyo will have eternal youth and beauty—but catching one often brings terrible storms and misfortune to entire villages.


2. SCOTLAND AND ORKNEY ISLANDS - SELKIE
Selkies are gentle creatures who live their lives as seals while in the water and shed their skin to become human on land, but they're frequently equated with mermaids because in Gaelic stories they are associated with maighdeann-mhara, or "maid of the sea." Selkie legends usually end in tragedy; the folktales almost inevitably feature a selkie's sealskin getting stolen and the selkie getting married and having children with a human, only to later find its old sealskin and get called back to the sea.


3. AFRICA - MAMI WATA
The "water spirit" Mami Wata is sometimes described as a mermaid, sometimes as a snake charmer, and occasionally as a combination of both. Found in many African folk stories, the legend of Mami Wata made its way to the Americas during the Atlantic slave trade. Although she can sometimes take human form, she is never fully human. She is closely associated with healing, fertility, and sex.


4. BRAZIL - IARA
The idea of mermaids in Brazil comes from the tale of Iara, the "Lady of the Waters." Iara was originally known as a water snake, but through folklore became an immortal woman with green eyes and brown skin who was known lure sailors to her underwater palace, where they became her lovers. Iara is blamed for many accidents in the Amazon, especially those where men disappear.




5. NEW ZEALAND - MARAKIHAU
Most tales of mermaids are passed down through spoken tales and pictures—and in New Zealand's Maori folklore, they are also seen in carvings. A little more intense than a mermaid, the Marakihau is a taniwha (guardian) of the sea. It has a human head and the body of a very long fish, as well as a long, tubular tongue that is often blamed for destroying canoes and swallowing large quantities of fish.




6. FRANCE - MELUSINE
A feminine spirit found in many medieval European folk stories, the Melusine has a
serpentine tail and occasionally sports wings. France, Germany, Luxembourg and Albania all have varying tales of Melusine, but the general legend describes her as a willful maiden who attempts revenge on her father on behalf of her mother, only to be punished by her mother with a serpent's tail. Melusine is especially connected with France as the royal French house of Lusignan claimed to be decedents of her. Images of this sea fairy can be seen over the world—especially on the coffee cups of Starbucks, which has a Melusine-like mermaid as its logo.

7. IRELAND - MERROW
A magical cap called a cohuleen druith enables merrows to live under the water. Female merrows, with their long green hair, are similar to traditional sirens—the beautiful, half-human fish of mythology. Male merrows, however, are considered hideous and frightening, more fish than man. And they're cruel—so cruel that merrow women were said to often have relationships with human men. Their offspring might have scales and webbing between their fingers. Merrows frequently become tired of the land and try to find a way to return to the sea—with or without their human family.


8. RUSSIA - RUSALKA
Often translated as “mermaid,” these water nymphs of Slavic myth were originally considered benevolent because they came out of the water in the spring to water crops. But the mythology also has a darker side: Rusalka are thought to be the spirits of girls who died violently, and thus they frequently lure men and children to their own watery deaths. Their translucent skin gives them a ghost-like appearance, and they'll sometimes use their long hair to trap and entangle their victims.


9. NORWAY AND ORKNEY ISLANDS - FINFOLK
Probably the least like a traditional version of a mermaid, finfolk are shape-shifters of the sea. Considered nomads who can alternate between living on land and at their ancestral home—Finfolkaheem—finfolk tend to have an antagonistic relationship with humans. They often abduct humans for their spouses, making them more servant than partner. Finfolk also have an affinity for silver, and one might be able to escape their grasp by throwing a silver coin their way.
source: Mental Floss




Stop by Handmade Jewelry Haven to get your very own mermaid, that, as folk lore will have it, will bestow the wearer with prosperous good luck!
Pink Mermaid Tail

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Monday, September 17, 2018

Wordless Wednesday - Mermaids



Here is a little preview of an upcoming post. Hope you enjoy!





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Monday, September 10, 2018

2018 North American Sea Glass Festival



As you all know one of my passions is Seaglass and the 2018 North American Sea Glass Festival will be held in Wildwood, New Jersey on Saturday, October 27, 2018 & Sunday, October 28, 2018.   

Here are the details:

13th Annual North American Sea Glass Festival  
Wildwood Convention Center
Saturday, October 27, 2018, 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. 
Sunday, October 28, 2018, 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

The Wildwood Convention Center is located on the beach, has ample parking, and is a beautiful facility.   The City of Wildwood is conveniently located close to several area attractions, including Cape May, which makes it a great destination for sea glass lovers. 

More details coming soon!  Stay posted on the Seaglass Association Facebook page and
website.


Festival Schedule is as follows:

Saturday, October 27, 2018
9:30 a.m.       Ticket counter opens
10:00 a.m.     Festival Opens  –
Purchase Shard of the Year cards all day
11:30 a.m.     Beach Marble History in Wildwood, New Jersey and Beyond 
                      – Doug Watson & Mary McCarthy
2:00 p.m.      Bottle Bottoms, Lips, and More – Richard LaMotte
5:00 p.m.      Festival Closes

Sunday, October 28, 2018
9:30 a.m.      Ticket Counter Opens
10:00 a.m.    Festival Opens 
11:30 a.m.     Sea Glass Sourcing: Beaches Known to Relinquish Specific Finds 
                      – Ellie Mercier
2:00 p.m.      Hurricane Maria: Renewal, Hope and the Love of Sea Glass 
                      – Carolyn Pigford
3:00 p.m.       Shard of the Year Contest Winner Announcements Begin

4:00 p.m.      Festival Closes

Interested in Volunteering?  Click here for more information. 

For more information visit  www.seaglassassociation.org 

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Tuesday, September 4, 2018

Need a gift for September? Learn about September's Birthstone here...



Although sapphire typically refers to the rich blue gemstone variety of the mineral corundum, this royal gem actually occurs in a rainbow of hues. Sapphires come in every color except red, which earn the classification of rubies instead.

The name “sapphire” comes from the Latin sapphirus and Greek sappheiros meaning “blue stone,” though those words may have originally referred to lapis lazuli. Some believe it originated from the Sanskrit word sanipriya which meant “dear to Saturn.”

Sapphires are found in India, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, China, Australia, Brazil, Africa and North America (mainly Montana). Their origin can affect their value as much as color, cut, clarity and carat size.

Sapphires symbolize loyalty, nobility, sincerity and integrity. They are associated with focusing the mind, maintaining self-discipline and channeling higher powers.

September’s birthstone, the sapphire, has been popular since the Middle Ages. Back then, the celestial blue color of this gem symbolized heaven and attracted divine favor and wise judgment.

Greeks wore sapphire for guidance when seeking answers from the oracle. Buddhists believed it brought spiritual enlightenment, and Hindus used it during worship. Early Christian kings cherished sapphire’s powers of protection by using it in ecclesiastical rings.

Ancient Hebrews believed that the Ten Commandments were engraved on tablets of sapphire, though historians now believe the blue stone referenced in the Bible may have been lapis lazuli.

This gem became a symbol of royal love in 1981 when Britain’s Prince Charles gave Lady Diana a 12-carat blue sapphire engagement ring. Prince William later gave this ring to Catherine Middleton when he proposed in 2010.

Today, top-quality blue sapphire remains one of Mother Nature's rare gems.

Of course...if you prefer Seaglass to to Sapphires come see our Cobalt Blue Seaglass Necklace...a 'one of a kind' find indeed!

Cobalt Seaglass Necklace

Need a gift for a someone born in September? 

Click here to get your free September Gift Guide!

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Monday, September 3, 2018

What Labor Day Was Intended For!



Labor Day is a U.S. national holiday held the first Monday every September. Unlike most U.S. holidays, it is a strange celebration without rituals, except for shopping and barbecuing. For most people it simply marks the last weekend of summer and the start of the school year.

The holiday’s founders in the late 1800s envisioned something very different from what the day has become. The founders were looking for two things: a means of unifying union workers and a reduction in work time.

Labor Day came about because workers felt they were spending too many hours and days on the job.

The first Labor Day was hardly a national holiday. Workers had to strike to celebrate it.

In the 1830s, manufacturing workers were putting in 70-hour weeks on average. Sixty years later, in 1890, hours of work had dropped, although the average manufacturing worker still toiled in a factory 60 hours a week.

These long working hours caused many union organizers to focus on winning a shorter eight-hour work day. They also focused on getting workers more days off, such as the Labor Day holiday, and reducing the workweek to just six days.

These early organizers clearly won since the most recent data show that the average person working in manufacturing is employed for a bit over 40 hours a week and most people work only five days a week.

Surprisingly, many politicians and business owners were actually in favor of giving workers more time off. That’s because workers who had no free time were not able to spend their wages on traveling, entertainment or dining out.

As the U.S. economy expanded beyond farming and basic manufacturing in the late 1800s and early 1900s, it became important for businesses to find consumers interested in buying the products and services being produced in ever greater amounts. Shortening the work week was one way of turning the working class into the consuming class.

So, remember to stop by Handmade Jewelry Haven...because when you purchase something from a small business, you are TRULY celebrating the spirit of Labor Day!
Excerpt from: The Conversion 
Green Victorian Shell Necklace

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