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Blog post #10 Snowmen, where did they come from?

  

https://i.stack.imgur.com/O8dyW.jpg
(Snowman with charred backside in a 14th-century Book of Hours (via Koninklijke Bibliotheek)

  Ever wondered where the idea for a snowman came from? Who rolled up the first snowball and stacked them together? We may never know that, but according to folk lore and history the first image of a snowman was recorded in a fourteenth century illuminated manuscript in the Book of Hours,(Koninklijke Bibliotheek)from The Hague, Netherlands. 

  During the Middle Ages there are written stories of winter time festivities such as in one severe winter in Brussels called the Miracle of fifteen-eleven. Town folk were united through the building of snowman, the streets were lined with all sorts of snowballs decorated and displayed n all manners and costume. It was a tactic to help the small community come together and help themselves to endure the frosty winter and survive. 

  Here in the United States the snowman is associated with the Massacre of sixteen-ninety. Guards at a military gate post in Fort Schenectady, New York, were cold and decided to go into the local pub for drinks. So they built snowman and headed for the warmth of the pub. French and Native Americans had tracked through the snow for days to attack the fort but they were cold and were about to surrender instead as they were nearly frozen. Upon seeing the snowman they decided to attack and sixty people were sadly killed.  

  There are many more stories of snowmen being used for many other purposes. In Japan they make them of only two balls and light a candle in the middle of one , they are considered good luck. In Switzerland in the spring after all the snow has melted they create a large snowman of cotton and foam, and put dynamite inside of it and parading it through the streets before blowing it up, signifying winter is over. 

Hopefully this winter many will be able to build their own snowman and decorate it in a fun an interesting way, be sure to share it online as there are snowman connoisseurs who would love to see it, good luck!

                                        

                                 http://www.unmissablejapan.com/events/sapporo-snow-festival

Comments

  1. Dorian HQDecember 5, 2023 at 9:18 PM

    I never know about the massacre association. However i do wish that there was snow in Glendale

    ReplyDelete
  2. ProfChrisDecember 6, 2023 at 6:19 AM

    Glad to see all 4 entries for the last GP, Amber. Solid new ideas and topics and writing flow. Great visuals. Nice job with analysis and significance. You have done really well with this project...maybe you should keep blogging!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Amber BergerDecember 6, 2023 at 9:55 PM

      Thank you, it's been a huge learning process for me, but I actually kind of like it now. I even shocked myself because it turned out to be fun, and not so much a terrifying experience. Im glad I did it.

      Delete

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