The salamander of mediæval superstition was a creature in the shape of a man, which lived in fire (Greek, salambeander, chimney-man), meaning a man that lives in a chimney. It was described by the ancients as bred by fire and existing in flames, an element which must inevitably prove destructive of life. Pliny describes it as "a sort of lizard which seeks the hottest fire to breed in, but quenches it with the extreme frigidity of its body." He tells us he tried the experiment once, but the creature was soon reduced to powder. *
Gregory of Nazianzen says that the salamander not only lived in and delighted in flames, but extinguished fire. St. Epiphanius compares the virtues of the hyacinth and the salamander. The hyacinth, he states, is unaffected by fire, and will even extinguish it as the salamander does. "The salamander and the hyacinth were symbols of enduring faith, which triumphs over the ardour of the passions.
Submitted to fire the hyacinth is discoloured and becomes white. "We may here perceive," says M. Portal, "a symbol of enduring and triumphant faith."
This imaginary creature is generally represented as a small wingless dragon or lizard, surrounded by and breathing forth flames. Sometimes it is represented somewhat like a dog breathing flames. A golden salamander is so represented on the garter-plate of James, Earl of Douglas, K.G., the first Scottish noble elected into the Order of the Garter, and who died 1483 A.D. Tinctured vert; and in flames proper it is the crest of Douglas, Earl of Angus.
On Friday, October 17, 2014 8:09:34 AM UTC-4, archytas wrote:Apparently, atheists and Muslims are most likely to believe in aliens. I suppose religionists are more likely to be prone to 'visions' and guess atheists (I've never quite met one) know about Drake's Law (in a universe so big there not being other life is unlikely). Various chimera exist in our literature from times when more than a few days' walk was to enter 'alien territory'. My alien experiences as a child were of the face at the widow kind and being terrified by dreams of golden-clawed lobsters coming out from under the bed. Later, post-op morphine was pretty good, as was post-exhaustion on army exercises (where I asked a werewolf for directions).Much alien stuff is pretty religious - good guys might come offering salvation like a couple of fusion reactors and bad guys might unite us in a battle against their evil. Joining the EU was once about salvation, just as leaving is now. Human beings often seem pretty alien to me (touch of autism). MumboJumbo was some kind of Congo jungle spirit used to prevent women wandering off - all rather religious. The fantastic power of aliens in travelling space-time (Facil's sculpture is brilliantly fantastic as its constituents would melt, yet is also a symbol of escape to salvation - maybe like the Mayflower and current rickety refugee boats).The alien in religion, especially control fraud religion like economics, can be salvation or hideous control (the sky will fall, MumboJumbo will get you, Judgement Day) - and perhaps even makes the believer alien-chosen as in Rapture. Under dire religious control of ridiculous status quo blood debts (Lele) or banks, maybe the spirit flies to the alien - 'my invisible big brother will get you' with plagues of frogs. Anything other than the practical, like replacing banks with block chain technologies and plastic crap economies with serious development of clean energy and space-craft that can survive space weather.Good question Tony - I suspect I'd have to experience religion first to give an answer. The contest between golden salamanders in hats is not my bag. My aliens, currently diverted into tapping vacuum energy near the centre of our galaxy (this is why our super-massive blackhole is grey) 100,000 light-years away, are coming to tell us to get on with peace or they'll bomb us to kingdom come - sadly highly derivative of US (Western) foreign policy as spoken to us. Our galaxy, they will explain, has been infected by the spider-ant slavers from Andromeda, another religious-type ploy. How will we know they are not the spider-ants? All we need for salvation is a small implant that will allow us to live on a higher plane.
On Thursday, 16 October 2014 17:52:39 UTC+1, facilitator wrote:Throughout the discussions occasionally the topic of "Aliens", Alien life, has come up. My view: I don't think so. (And this from someone who has witnessed two UFO's). What is (are) your argument(s) for believing (religious connotation) in Alien life?
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