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| | From:  WindSkatha1 (Original Message) | Sent: 7/1/2008 9:20 PM |
Hello Again,
I have always been fascinated by the development of writing. I found it interesting how the oldest writings found in China have been found on bones used for the purpose of telling the future. The Kings of the late Shang (CA. 1200-1050 B.C.E) would attempt to talk to the spirits by using cattle bones or turtle plastrons sometimes marked with symbols. Their diviners would then take hot brands and apply them to the bones, the bones would crack and supposedly by reading the cracks one could determine the future. Afterwards a record of the topic and/or the prognostication and the result would be engraved on the bone. Now this begs the question to me about what was the main purpose of writing in ancient socities? Was it mystical? or was it more practical like mesopotamia Cunneiform which seems to be derived more from a very practical system of accounting than it seems to be mystical. What do you think? Was Writing more for spiritual beliefs or for everyday life? |
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I know little to nothing about this subject, Skatha, but I did find an incredibly good picture of writing on a turtle shell: Absolutely fascinating. Nice to see you again! |
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| Nice to see you again as well. I must admit I don't know that much about it either. I love the picture, thanks for sharing. I am currently taking a class on Asian History and this subject came up. It makes me think of Nordic runes. Otherwise must of the early writing systems such as cuneiform and phonecian script that I know about seem to have more to do with trade and taxes than anything else so this chinese writing got me thinking along other lines. |
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Windskatha Back to spread a chill of eeriness on site. Sunday, My bank mamanger will be grateful if you return same. When they bounce they don't normally travel that far. My personal suggestion, unbacked by any vestige of truth like my Wedding vows, is that writing started as statements of accounts and names. |
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Chinese mandarin uses 3 emphatics for each word; how do you script that? |
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Did you know that the term mandarin is not used in China? Mandarin is actually a Portuegese word meaning "official". I was suprised to hear that.
Second of all just because I am interested in bones with strange inscriptions on them, doesn't make me eerie. Does it? :))) |
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So am I. Yes it does. De mortuis nihil sed bonum causa esse. I am scared of human body fragments. |
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