Re: Copts and Rabbits

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: : In the Cleveland Museum, there is a Coptic tapestry from 6th c : Egypt : : .... and there are 3 people with raised hands that appear to : : represent hennaed hands. It's #82.73 .... and it's very : interesting, : : historically . There are many pagan elements on the tapestry, a : large : : Tau cross that is a hybrid Ankh and Christian cross. There are 2 : more : : sorts f crosses, the P with the X through it's tail and an an IXOXC : : fish. This tapestry shows the incorporation of hennaed hands and : : other elements from Ancient Egypt and Canaanite religions into very : : early Christianity in Egypt before the rise of Islam. Coptic use : of : : henna in weddings, circumcisions and suchlike is well recorded, ... : : but I had wondered if the Copts adapted bridal use of henna from : their : : Muslim neighbors, or whether their use of henna predated Islamic : : influence. This tapestry seems to indicate that very early : : Christians, in Egypt anyway, used henna. : : : : Coptic tapestries have wonderful rabbits on them .... from Greco : Roman : : influence. In the eastern Mediterranean, 500 BCE to 1500 CE, : rabbits : : were a symbol of intercourse, especially the free and abandoned hot : : and sticky sort of date .... and were frequently used as courting : : gifts from an ardent persuer to the desired. Most of the rabbits : : before the Islamic era were accompanied by a Satyr and a Maenad, or : : at least some fairly sexy babe figures. Lest you think that the : : rabbit was simply a metaphor for it's namesake (derived from : : "cuniculus" .... c**t), many of the "rabbit gift" images represent : a : : man seducing another man (lots of these are on Greek vases). Into : the : : Muslim world, the rabbits were still very sexy and animated, put in : : metaphoric settings. : : So ..... anyhow, it being spring and all ..... I put together a : page : : of rabbit and hare patterns from the arts of henna useing countries : : for ya'll. Use them for Easter, or use them for Oestra, the : fertility : : deity. : : Email me if ya want'em. Free as usual. Just ask. : re related words to cuniculous -- other than the obvious c**t, there : is also cunning and coney - all rabbit/goddess/wisdom words. : a weird rabbit story: when my daughter was 2 years old we got a pet : rabbit. I asked her what she wanted to name it and she came up : with "pooka" (the name of the celtic rabbit spirit). it sent shivers : up my spine! what genetic hat did she pull that one out of?!

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