THE JONES & RAMON LLULL, THE GREAT ART OF LEARNING

Víctor Jones & the Lullian Wheels, the first computers

The Jones are still in Hogwarts enjoying the world of magic, spells and potions. Today, they have assisted to a Minerva McGonagall's conference about Ramon Llull, one the most important European figures during the 13 century thanks to his knowledge in Philosophy, Teology, Science and Languages.

The Grandma has offered her point of view talking about S'Estaca, a wonderful possession in Majorca where Llull created a Language School joining the best students and masters of the century in an effort to transmit values and knowledge to arrive to be better people, in particular, and better societies in general.

More informarion: Quis est Lullus?

The Ramon Llull's idea of using communication and dialogue between cultures and religions to avoid wars and conflicts converts him in one of the most brilliant and pacifist minds of his time. His influence in all kind of knowledge is demonstrated, especially in computers, where he's considerated the first creator of a computing language and nowadays recognized like the Computer Science patron. 

In addition, The Grandma has also talked about the importance of salt and fennel in Sant Boi and Majorca's history.

Cristina Bean-Jones in Brecha de Rolando, Ordesa

After this interesting conference, the family has revised some aspects of grammar to improve little details, in this case with The Articles and the position of the adjectives in historical texts.

Following with the idea of creating compositions, The Jones have created some circular writings paying attention to the  structure rules and they have practised some activities to eliminate information in searching of the true one. 

They have also read some interesting information about Ordesa, in Aragon and Joaquín Jones has explained some characteristics of the world maps and their scales.

 

Joaquín Jones and a fascinating old World Map

Finally, the family has played Cluedo before rescuing Susana Jones, who was locked in a small red English-style cabin box inside a picture. 

The rescue has been possible thanks to Owlie, Claudia Jones's owl, who is a clever big white animal, with a great sense of orientation and a perfect hunter into the dark places, which was adopted from El Cim d'Àligues in The Montseny.

More information: Cim d'Àligues

Ramon Llull (1232-1315) was a philosopher, logician, Franciscan tertiary and Majorcan writer. He is credited with writing the first major work of Catalan literature. Recently surfaced manuscripts show his work to have predated by several centuries prominent work on elections theory. He is also considered a pioneer of computation theory, especially given his influence on Leibniz.

Claudia Jones & Owlie in El Cim d'Àligues

Llull was born into a wealthy family in Palma, the capital of the newly formed Kingdom of Majorca. James I of Aragon founded Majorca to integrate the recently conquered territories of the Balearic Islands into the Crown of Aragon. 

Llull's parents had come from Catalonia as part of the effort to colonize the formerly Almohad ruled island. As the island had been conquered militarily, the Muslim population who had not been able to flee the conquering Christians had been enslaved, even though they still constituted a significant portion of the island's population.

More information: Ramon Llull Routes

In 1257 he married Blanca Picany, with whom he had two children, Domènec and Magdalena. Although he formed a family, he lived what he would later call the licentious and wasteful life of a troubadour.

The Grandma visiting Ramon Llull in La Real, Palma

Llull served as tutor to James II of Aragon and later became Seneschal -the administrative head of the royal household- to the future King James II of Majorca, a relative of his wife.

In 1274, while staying at a hermitage on Puig de Randa, the form of the great book he was to write was finally given to him through divine revelation: a complex system that he named his Art, which would become the motivation behind most of his life's efforts. He finally achieved his goal of linguistic education at major universities in 1311 when the Council of Vienne ordered the creation of chairs of Hebrew, Arabic and Chaldean (Aramaic) at the universities of Bologna, Oxford, Paris, and Salamanca as well as at the Papal Court.

 

Ramon Llull with Samanta & Marta Jones

In 1315, he died at home in Palma. It can be documented that Llull was buried at the Church of Saint Francis in Mallorca by March 1316.

Llull was extremely prolific, writing a total of more than 250 works in Catalan, Latin, and Arabic, and often translating from one language to the others. While almost all of his writings after the revelation on Mt. Randa connect to his Art in some way, he wrote on diverse subjects in a variety of styles and genres.
The romantic novel Blanquerna is widely considered the first major work of literature written in Catalan, and possibly the first European novel.

His first elucidation of the Art was in Art Abreujada d'Atrobar Veritat (The Abbreviated Art of Finding Truth), in 1290. The version used 16 figures presented as complex, complementary trees, while the system of the Ars Magna featured only four, including one which combined the other three.

More information: CCCB

Hello? It's me. Hello from the other siiiiiide...

This figure, a Lullian Circle, took the form of a paper machine operated by rotating concentrically arranged circles to combine his symbolic alphabet, which was repeated on each level. These combinations were said to show all possible truth about the subject of inquiry. 

Llull based this notion on the idea that there were a limited number of basic, undeniable truths in all fields of knowledge, and that everything about these fields of knowledge could be understood by studying combinations of these elemental truths.

The method was an early attempt to use logical means to produce knowledge. Llull hoped to show that Christian doctrines could be obtained artificially from a fixed set of preliminary ideas. For example, the most essential table listed the attributes of God: goodness, greatness, eternity, power, wisdom, will, virtue, truth and glory. Llull knew that all believers in the monotheistic religions—whether Jews, Muslims or Christians—would agree with these attributes, giving him a firm platform from which to argue.

Arguing is a fantastic method to learn new things, discover new points of view and realize that there isn't only a real truth, something that one family works every day: The Jones.

 

Download How to Create Compositions

Imagination imagines at night 

that which is not daytime. 

Ramon Llull

THE ANTICHRIST ARRIVAL: MANAGING AND ARGUMENT

Memories of Sant Antoni in Alcúdia, Mallorca

Today, The Beans have received the best news they could receive: Nereyda Bean has been found by the FBI. She's fine without any injuries but she has lost her memory and she doesn't remember anything about her life. The family is helping her to recover it.

The family is very happy with the last events but they're expressing their feelings now and they have discussed about some problems that affect the big cities to try to expulse their demons and fears. When you have some pain inside you, you need to talk and if it's very difficult to talk about bad experiences is better to talk about general problems that affect the population to try to blow them off and feel better with themselves.

More information: Present Continuous

The Grandma has expressed how worry she is with the arrival of the AntiChrist to Barcelona which was announced by the Sibyl last December, 24, and about her effects over the population and over the day-by-day of the citizens. There are too many problems to solve and no solutions to be heard. It has been a great experience to talk with the family about these problems because it has been a good chance to reply and express personal opinions and the most important, to try to talk in English.

Download Vocabulary Activities-Cambridge English

The Beans's present in Liberty Island

The family has continued with the Present Continuous and they have written some plans for their pets because today is Saint Anthony, patron of the animals, a wonderful day in Majorca and a very special day for Anton Bean. They have worked in group to offer a brainstorming to think in a closer future. They have also written some crosswords and have done some games about vocabulary.

Finally, Natalia Bean has explained how the Statue of Liberty vanished thanks to David Copperfield. After this, The Beans have decided to buy this emblematic monument. They are planning to carry her with them but meanwhile they have left a little present: a memory of their visit to not be forgotten by the New Yorkers.

I believe in traditions; I believe in the idea of things being 

passed between generations and the slow 

transmission of cultural values through tradition. 

Graham Moore

B. SPRINGSTEEN & M. DEL MAR BONET: WORLDS APART

Bruce Springsteen published Worlds Apart in 2002. The song was included in the album The Rising. 

Two years later, Maria del Mar Bonet adapted this song to Catalan language and published Mons apart in her album Amic, Amat, a work inspired in Ramon Llull, the Majorcan philosopher who talked about respect, peace and understanding between all cultures and religions in the 13th century.

More information: Quis est Lullus?

Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer known for his work with the E Street Band. 

Nicknamed The Boss, he is widely known for his brand of poetic lyrics, Americana, working class, sometimes political sentiments centered on his native New Jersey, his distinctive voice, and his lengthy and energetic stage performances, with concerts from the 1970s to the present decade running at up to four hours in length. 

His artistic endeavors reflect both his personal growth and the zeitgeist of the times.

I hold you in my arms, yeah that's when it starts
I seek faith in your kiss and comfort in your heart
I taste the seed upon your lips, lay my tongue upon your scars
But when I look into your eyes we stand worlds apart

Where the distant oceans sing and rise to the plain
In this dry and troubled country your beauty remains
Down from the mountain road where the highway rolls to dark
'Neath Allah's blessed rain we remain worlds apart

Sometimes the truth just ain't enough
Or is it too much in times like this
Let's throw the truth away we'll find it in this kiss
In your skin upon my skin in the beating of our hearts

May the living let us in before the dead tear us apart
We'll let blood build a bridge over mountains draped in stars
I'll meet you on the ridge between these worlds apart
We've got this moment now to live then it's all just dust and dark

Let's let love give what it gives
Let's let love give what it gives

More information: Bruce Springsteen

 

Maria del Mar Bonet i Verdaguer (born 1947 in Palma, Majorca) is a Balearic singer from the island of Majorca. Bonet studied ceramics in the school of arts, but eventually decided to dedicate herself to music. 

Maria del Mar Bonet i Verdaguer

She arrived in Barcelona in 1967, where she began to sing with the group Els Setze Jutges. 

She has published many folk music albums in Catalan, in spite of the ban on the Catalan language and its music during Francisco Franco's dictatorship. 

In 1985, as a result of her interest and research into North African music, she recorded Anells d’aigua with the Ensemble de Musique Traditionelle of Tunisia.

Jo no sé com has guardat la bellesa entre l'infern
ni com vas poder fugir de l'horror que t'ha esquinçat.
Quan et llepo les ferides veig al fons del teu esguard
el que no puc esborrar: que hem nascut en mons a part.

Més enllà dels oceans, més enllà del crit del mar
on la pluja té l'arrel beneïda per Al·là.
On la lluna cau dels estels sobre un món empolsegat
s'han trobat els nostres cors en un pont que hem aixecat.

En aquests temps que ens ha tocat no serveix la veritat
fem un temps pel nostre amor ple de vida entre la mort.
Acompanyen els estels el camí que hem inventat
el teu cor amb el meu cor per damunt dels mons a part.

Amb la sang i la foscor que hem après a tuejar
no tenim altre moment, no l'hem pogut triar.
La tristesa de la mort dels nostres mons separats
però que doni el nostre amor tot allò que pot donar.

More information: Maria del Mar Bonet

 If understanding followed no rule at all, there would be no good in the understanding nor in the matter understood, and to remain in ignorance would be the greatest good.

Ramon Llull

ROBERT GRAVES: AN ENGLISH POET IN DEIÀ, MAJORCA

Robert Graves

Robert von Ranke Graves (24 July 1895-7 December 1985), also known as Robert Ranke Graves and most commonly Robert Graves, was an English poet, novelist, critic and classicist. In a way similar to Oscar Wilde, Robert Graves was a Celticist and student of Irish mythology, by the influence of his father Alfred Perceval Graves, a celebrated Irish poet, with William Wilde, these families were inheritors of the Gaelic revival. He produced more than 140 works.

Graves's poems, together with his translations and innovative analysis and interpretations of the Greek myths; his memoir of his early life, including his role in the First World War, Good-Bye to All That; and his speculative study of poetic inspiration, The White Goddess, have never been out of print. Irish literature deeply affected Graves' White Goddess theories, specifically the genre aisling.

More information: Fundació Robert Graves (English)

He earned his living from writing, particularly popular historical novels such as I, Claudius, King Jesus, The Golden Fleece and Count Belisarius. He also was a prominent translator of Classical Latin and Ancient Greek texts; his versions of The Twelve Caesars and The Golden Ass remain popular, for their clarity and entertaining style. Graves was awarded the 1934 James Tait Black Memorial Prize for both I, Claudius and Claudius the God.

Graves was born into a middle-class family in Wimbledon, then part of Surrey, now part of London. He was the third of five children born to Alfred Perceval Graves (1846–1931), an Irish school inspector, Gaelic scholar and the author of the popular song Father O'Flynn, and his second wife, Amalie von Ranke (1857–1951).

Robert Graves in Deià, Majorca

At school, Graves was enrolled as Robert von Ranke Graves and in Germany his books are published under that name but before and during the First World War, the name caused him difficulties. In August 1916 an officer who disliked him spread the rumour that he was the brother of a captured German spy who had assumed the name Carl Graves. The problem resurfaced in a minor way in the Second World War, when a suspicious rural policeman blocked his appointment to the Special Constabulary.

In 1926, he took up a post at Cairo University, accompanied by his wife, their children and the poet Laura Riding. He returned to London briefly, where he split up with his wife under highly emotional circumstances, at one point Riding attempted suicide, before leaving to live with Riding in Deià, Majorca. 

More information: La Casa de Robert Graves (English)

There they continued to publish letterpress books under the rubric of the Seizin Press, founded and edited the literary journal, Epilogue and wrote two successful academic books together: A Survey of Modernist Poetry (1927) and A Pamphlet Against Anthologies (1928); both had great influence on modern literary criticism, particularly New Criticism. Graves and Riding left Majorca in 1936 at the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War and in 1939, they moved to the United States, taking lodging in New Hope, Pennsylvania.

Robert Graves

On 11 November 1985, Graves was among sixteen Great War poets commemorated on a slate stone unveiled in Westminster Abbey's Poet's Corner. 

The inscription on the stone was written by friend and fellow Great War poet Wilfred Owen. It reads: My subject is War, and the pity of War. The Poetry is in the pity. Of the 16 poets, Graves was the only one still living at the time of the commemoration ceremony.

During the early 1970s Graves began to suffer from increasingly severe memory loss. By his 80th birthday in 1975, he had come to the end of his working life. He survived for ten more years, in an increasingly dependent condition, until he died from heart failure on 7 December 1985 at 90. He was buried the next morning in the small churchyard on a hill at Deià, at the site of a shrine that had once been sacred to The White Goddess of Pelion.

More information: Illes Balears

Genius not only diagnoses the situation but supplies the answers. 

Robert Graves

THE SONG OF THE SIBYL: THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT

The Grandma in the Airport of Strasbourg

The Grandma has finished her travel on The Orient Express. This morning she has arrived to Strasbourg where she has taken a plane to Barcelona, via Palma.  

The Orient Express continues to Paris, Calais and London but The Grandma has returned to Barcelona because today is Christmas Eve and she has a meeting in the Church of Sant Gervasi i Protasi in Bonanova in Barcelona. She's going to listen The Song of the Sibyl sung by Maria del Mar Bonet.

The Song of the Sibyl, in Catalan El Cant de la Sibil·la, is a liturgical drama and a Gregorian chant, the lyrics of which compose a prophecy describing the Apocalypse, which has been performed at some churches of Majorca in Balearic Islands, Alghero in Sardinia and some Catalan churches, in Catalan language on Christmas Eve nearly uninterruptedly since medieval times. The Song of the Sibyl is also sung in Naples in Campania and Marseille in Provence. It was declared a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO on November 16, 2010. 

More information: UNESCO

Several versions, differing in text and music, exist:

-Latin Sibyl, from 10th-11th century, which incorporates fragments of The City of God (XVIII, 23) by St. Augustine.

-Provençal Sibyl, from the 13th century, reflecting influence of troubadour poetry.

-Catalan Sibyl. The latest and most ornamented version. Incorporates popular traditions of Balearic Islands. Refrain of this version is sometimes written for three or four voices.

Delphic Sibyl by Michelangelo

The author of The Song of the Sibyl is unknown. The prophecy was first recorded as an acrostic poem in Greek by bishop Eusebius of Caesarea and later translated into Latin by Saint Augustine in The City of God. It appeared again in the 10th century in different locations across Catalonia, Italy, Castile, and France in the Sermon contra Judeos, later inserted into the reading of the sixth lesson of the second nocturn of matins and was performed as an integral part of the liturgy.

This chant was originally sung in Latin and under the name of Judicii Signum, but from the 13th on, versions in Catalan are found.

These early Catalan versions of the Judici Signum were not directly translated from Latin. Instead, they all come from a previous adaptation in Provençal, which proves the huge popularity this song must have had in the past.

More information: The Song of Sibyl in Barcelona

Amongst the Catalan texts which come from this common root, there is a 14th-century Codex kept in the Archives of the Majorcan Diocese, which was rediscovered in 1908. Oral transmission and the lack of written scripts has caused the various old texts in the vernacular to suffer many modifications over time, which has led to a diversity of versions.

The Song of the Sibyl was almost totally abandoned throughout Europe after the Council of Trent, held in 25 sessions from 1545 to 1563, declared its performance was forbidden. Nevertheless, it was restored on Mallorca as soon as in 1575.

The Grandma in Sant Gervasi i Protasi, Bonanova

Originally, The Song of the Sibyl was sung in a Gregorian melody and, as it can be seen in the codex previously mentioned, the musical accompaniment that was played in Majorca, with the exception of some variations, was the same documented in other places across the Iberian Peninsula. Today, it cannot be ascertained when The Song of the Sibyl was sung to this Gregorian melody, but most likely until the 16th or 17th century. 

Oral transmission of the song caused, as it did with the text, the birth of different variations and models. The interest this chant produced amongst early Musicologists and Folklorists of the 19th century led to the transcription of the different known versions of the song. The versions still played nowadays take these transcriptions as model.

More information: History Learning Site

In the Renaissance, the Gregorian melody of the Song was set to polyphonic music by various composers, a common practice during that period. Two of these works, both for four voices, can be found in the Cancionero de la Colombina, a Spanish manuscript from the second half of the 15th century. The text in them is an abridged version of the Song, in the Castilian language.

The song was originally sung by a Presbyter, although this figure was later replaced by a boy. Even though the Song is supposed to be sung by a Sibyl woman, prophetess, for many centuries women were not allowed to sing in church.

Maria del Mar Bonet & Lautaro Rosas

Today, in most temples in which the song is interpreted, it is still sung by a boy, although in some cases it is sung by either a little girl or a woman. In the performance, the singer walks up to the Altar escorted by two or more altar boys carrying wax candles. Once there, the singer greets the crucifix, turns around, and begins the song. The song is sung a cappella and in a solo voice. In some churches, organ music or either modern choral interludes are introduced between one verse and the next.

The costume used to perform the song is rather similar in all churches, at least around Majorca, where it is performed. It consists of a white or coloured tunic, sometimes embroidered around the neck and the hem, and usually, a cape, which is sometimes replaced with a second tunic. The head is covered with a cap of the same colour. The singer holds a sword in his hands, which is held erect during the whole song. Once the song is over, the singer draws a cross in the air with the sword, turns around to the crucifix once again, usually bows, and afterwards is escorted away from the altar by the same boys.

More information: Maria del Mar Bonet

The song starts with an introduction, the melody of which differs from the rest of the song. In some performances, the song ends with the introductory melody as well.

The text is not standard, but late Medieval Catalan. Some verses are attributed to the 14th-century Mallorcan writer, Anselm Turmeda, who translated into Catalan the Judicii Signum, Book of the Final Judgement, on which the composition is based.

A Catalan version was recorded by Maria del Mar Bonet in 1979 on her album Saba de terrer, and by the vocal ensemble Obsidienne in 1995. 

 Great fire from the heaven will come down;
seas, fountains and rivers, all will burn.
Fish will scream loudly and in horror
losing their natural delights.

The Song of the Sibyl

LA SAGRADA FAMÍLIA: WHAT'S THE TRUTH?

The Sagrada Família

Today has been a very special day.

The Collins Family has arrived to Barcelona to visit the Sagrada Família, the most famous Antoni Gaudi’s work, although it’s not the most interesting: La Colònia Güell is the most enigmatic one. 

This visit has been a personal gift of MJ, N and M for the family.

Download Barcelona's Natural Wonder by Antoni Gaudí

The Sagrada Família

After taking the public transport for avoiding the World Mobile Congress crowd, they have reached their objective: staying at 10:15 in the main entrance called Façana del Naixement. They’ve obtained their audio guides and they’ve entered into the Temple for discovering the power of the nature in Gaudí’s architecture. 

The weather has been fantastic: sunny and warm day and this has helped the visitors to experiment the mystery of the colours inside. 

The Collins Family has taken lots of photos and has talked about the symbolism of Gaudí and the Sagrada Família parallelisms with Majorca’s Cathedral.

Animals like turtles, tortoises, snakes, snails, salamanders and lizards have appeared from different and hidden places of the building and different Sant Jordi (Saint George) have protected us during the visit.

The Sagrada Família

Once the ground plant has been visited, The Collins Family has gone to contemplate the essence of life’s mysteries in the other side of the Temple: La façana de la Passió created by Josep Maria Subirachs an incredible and magic hieroglyph about life and existence.

Symbols of Alfa and Omega have reminded us that all things, even life, have a beginning and an end; an enigmatic magic square has showed us how important are mathematics in our existence; the maze has explained us how difficult sometimes can be choosing the correct way and the Salvador Espriu’s words has evocated the importance of respect and tolerance between different cultures and races. 

Two hours and a half later, exhausted, The Collins Family has returned to the hotel in Sant Boi de Llobregat, a beautiful town near Barcelona, next to one of the most important places around the planet: La Colònia Güell.

Download The calculations of La Sagrada Família by Antoni Gaudí

Who knows where the world may
turn us, only a fool would say
Who knows what the fate may
have in store
Follow the light of truth as far
as our eyes can see
How should we knows where that
may be? How should we know?

Alan Parsons Project

SERRA DE TRAMUNTANA, ANTONI GAUDÍ & DELILAH

El Salt de la Bella Dona

Yesterday, we reviewed the First Conditional and continued the Robinson’s story. We talked about El salt de la bella dona (The jumping of the beautiful woman) an interesting and mysterious legend from Majorca Island. 

We recited Tom Jones’ Delilah and we discussed about the meaning of its lyrics.

More information: Candlemas' Report

Antoni Gaudí and his jobs in Ciutat de Palma's Cathedral, Santa Coloma de Cervelló and non-recognized ones in Sant Boi de Llobregat were other interesting themes.

More information: Antoni Gaudí in Sant Boi de Llobregat

The family visited Euro Disney. We hadn't got new news and then we suppose all the members are fine and nothing happened in the park. We’re sure all the whole family enjoyed every moment with their favourite characters.

We received some MJ presents: two fantastic books which were given by Mercè. Thanks a lot, girls!

Finally, we spoke about the importance of the 2.0 Tools in job’s searching nowadays.

More information: Serra de Tramuntana-UNESCO World Heritage Site

ADRIANA, RHODES AND HARIS ALEXIOU

Rhodes, Greece

Latest news about the family!

Although Adriana was born in Ithaca, Ulysses hometown, her parents decided to name Adriana in honour to Hadria, the ancient Latin city on the Adriatic Sea banks. Nowadays, she lives in Rhodes (Ρόδος in Greek) where she’s studying History of Art in the Aegean University. She chose this University because this island could offer her a mix of cultures (Latin, Greek, Byzantine, Turkish and Medieval) and she could become an expert in The Order of the Temple. 

Adriana receives some help from Eva, our Maltese gymnast. They share knowledge about these Medieval Knights who dominated the Mediterranean in the XII and XIII centuries and further Malta and Rhodes established in other places of the Catalonia and Aragon Crown as Lleida, Majorca, Miravet, Monzón, Tortosa or Montpellier. Adriana respects and conserves her Greek traditions strongly and she always sings songs of her favourite singer, Haris Alexious, who is considered, nowadays, one of the best female Mediterranean voices, shared honour with Maria del Mar Bonet.

More information: Knights Templar Order

Έχει πανσέληνο απόψε κι είναι ωραία
είναι αλλιώτικη η σιωπή χωρίς παρέα
Δε νιώθω θλίψη μα μου 'χει λείψει

There is a full moon tonight and it is nice;
silence is different without company.
I feel no sorrow but I have missed.