Sun's dying glow

A cool cloudy day today, until late in the afternoon when there was a bit of clearing. I went swimming this morning for my daily exercise, then had two classes this afternoon. The one, Life in Medieval Britain, has really been great -one of the things that he includes is how many words and sayings we use today have their origins in Medieval times. One of the things I learned today, which I had never realized before, is the history of the striped barbers pole. In the Middle Ages, because of their dexterity with razors and sharp instruments, barbers also served as surgeons, performing surgery, tooth extractions, and bloodletting. The barber pole as a symbol of the profession is a legacy of bloodletting. The barber surgeon's necessities for that curious custom were a staff for the patient to grasp (so the veins on the arm would stand out sharply), a basin to hold leeches and catch blood, and an abundant supply of linen bandages. After the operation was completed, the bandages would be wrapped around the staff and sometimes placed outside as an advertisement. The earliest poles were surmounted by a leech basin, which in time was transformed into a ball. The origin of the blue stripe seems less clear - one theory is that it represents the veins. If I'd have thought of it, and had more time I could have found a barber pole for my blip, but the light was already fading, and I had to get back to fix dinner before going out to choir this evening, so I just took a quick shot in Pioneer Park on my way home.

One year ago: A piece of history


A piece of history