Place Names of Religious or Mythological Origin

Trollhattan, Sweden: The name of this city in Swedish means “troll’s bonnet” or “troll’s hat.”  The city is named for the nearby Trollhattan Falls. In Norse mythology, trolls were ugly, even grotesque, humanoids who lived under bridges and in caves and some hills. The Old Norse word means “witch,” “monster,” or “ogre.”

Anah, Iraq: The origin of the name of this town is possibly from Anat, a violent virgin Ugaritic war goddess. Anat was the sister of the deity Ba'al.

Setubal Portugal: This city name is possibly of Biblical origin. Tubal was a tribe descended from Japheth, one of Noah’s sons. 

Nebi Samwil, West Bank: The Arabic word “nebi” translates as “prophet’ so this town is “Prophet Samuel.” This is the traditional site of the tomb of the prophet Samuel.

Mauii (Island), Hawaii, USA: Mauii the Trickster was one of the demigods in the Polynesian pantheon.

How Great Thou Art

You have probably never seen “How Great Thou Art” performed like this.

http://vimeo.com/59093411

From Wikipedia:

“"How Great Thou Art" is a Christian hymn based on a Swedish poem written by Carl Gustav Boberg (1859–1940) in Sweden in 1885. The melody is a Swedish folk song. It was translated into English by British missionary Stuart K. Hine, who also added two original verses of his own composition. It was popularized by George Beverly Shea and Cliff Barrows during the Billy Graham crusades.[1] It was voted the United Kingdom's favourite hymn by BBC's Songs of Praise.[2] "How Great Thou Art" was ranked second (after "Amazing Grace") on a list of the favorite hymns of all time in a survey by Today's Christian magazine in 2001.”

http://www.ingeb.org/spiritua/howgreat.html

Christians

At some time during their lives, the following people have publicly identified themselves as Christian.   Inclusion in this list does not indicate approval or disapproval of the person, of their orthodoxy or lack of it, or of their actions.  Some of those listed may surprise you.  Readers are encouraged to suggest persons who should be included on this list.  This is a recurring segment in this blog.

John Ray: (b. 1627, England – d. 1705) Botanist, college lecturer, biological cataloger).  Ray is credited with laying the foRyan Hallundations for modern botany and zoology.

Mary of Lapland: (b. Lappland (Finland, aka: Milla Clementsdottir of Follinge)  Mary was a Sami woman who, in 1844, showed the Swedish Lutheran pastor, Lars Levi Laestadius, the need for a deeper, more personal faith.

Lars Levi Laestadius (b. 1800, Sweden – d. 1861) Swedish Lutheran pastor, author, botanist.

Ryan Hall: (b. 1982, California, USA) United States Olympic long distance runner (London 2012) who credits God as his only coach.

Oswiu of Northumbria: (b. ca 612 – d. 670; aka: Oswy, Oswig)  King of Bernicia, an early British kingdom. 

Christians

At some time during their lives, the following people have publicly identified themselves as Christian.   Inclusion in this list does not indicate approval or disapproval of the person, of their orthodoxy or lack of it, or of their actions.  Readers are encouraged to suggest persons who should be included on this list.  This is a recurring segment in this blog.

Catherine of Vadstena: (b. ca. 1331, Sweden - d.1381, aka: Catherine of Sweden) Abbess of Vadstena. Daughter of Bridgit of Sweden.  Catherine and her husband lived an ascetic, celibate life.  Returned her mother’s body to Sweden from Rome.

Dismas: (aka: The Good Thief) While hanging on his own cross as punishment for robbery, he asked Jesus to remember him in heaven and Jesus said he would be in paradise that day. (Luke 23:42-43) 

Ludger of Munster: (b. ca. 742, Germany - d.809, aka: Liuger)  Bishop of Munster.  Evangelis in Westphalia and Eastphalia. He built churches and founded a Benedictine monastery on his family estate.  He is considered to be the patron saint of Munster.

Isidore the Farmer: (b. ca. 1080, Spain – d.1130) . Peasant farm laborer. He is considered to be the patron saint of Madrid. Canonized as a saint by the Roman Catholic Church in 1622.

Mary Margaret d’Youville (b. 1701, Canada – d. 1771; aka: Marie-Marguerite d”Youville; Marguerite Dufroste de Lajemmerais) First native-born Canadian Roman Catholic saint. She was the widow of Francois d-Youville, a bootlegger.  Founded the Sisters of Charity of the General Hospital (the Grey Nuns).  The Grey Nuns care for poor, sick, aged women, prisoners, mentally ill, and prostitutes.  “Go to the Grey Nuns, they never refused anybody, or any honest work.”  She was canonized as a saint by the Roman Catholic Church in 1990.  Patron saint of widows and difficult marriages.

Christians

‎At some time during their lives, the following people have publicly identified themselves as Christian.   Inclusion in this list does not indicate approval or disapproval of the person, of their orthodoxy or lack of it, or of their actions.  Readers are encouraged to suggest persons who should be included on this list.  This is a recurring segment in this blog.

Pudens: A Christian man in Rome who is mentioned by Paul in 2 Timothy 4:21 as sending greetings to Timothy.

Godfrey of Bouillon: (b. ca. 1060, Frankish Kingdom – d. 1100) Lord of Bouillon and Duke of Lower Lorraine.  Frankish knight and a leader during the First Crusade in 1096.  He was the first ruler of the newly established Kingdom of Jerusalem.

Clara Maas:  (b. 1876, New Jersey, USA – d. 1901) A nurse who died after volunteering for yellow fever research.  She is considered to be a saint by the Lutheran Church.

Michael Graham Landon: (b. 1964, California, USA, aka: Michael Landon, Jr.) Actor, director, writer, and producer.  Son of television and film actor Michael Landon.

Olof Daniel Westling: (b. 1973, Sweden, aka: Prince Daniel, Duke of Vastergotland) Gymnasium owner, personal trainer of Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden. In 2010, he married Victoria.  Lutheran.

Christians

At some time during their lives, the following people have publicly identified themselves as Christian.   Inclusion in this list does not indicate approval or disapproval of the person, of their orthodoxy or lack of it, or of their actions.  Readers are encouraged to suggest persons who should be included on this list.  This is a recurring segment in this blog.

Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov (b. 1870, Russia – d. 1924, aka: Vladimir Lenin) Attorney, Soviet dictator.  Lenin was baptized in the Russian Orthodox Church.  As an adult, he promoted the atheism of his Communist political philosophy.  The name “Lenin” was a pseudonym from the Lena River in Siberia.

Lars von Trier: (b. 1956, Denmark) Controversial filmmaker, film director.  Raised as an atheist, he is now a Roman Catholic.

Johanna Maria Lind Goldschmidt: (b. 1820, Sweden – d. 1887, aka: Jenny Lind, “The Swedish Nightingale.”) Operatic soprano.  She was a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music.  Lutheran.

Margrethe I of Denmark, Ruler of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark: (b. 1353, Denmark – d.1412; aka: Margaret I) Lutheran. 

Honore de Balzac (b. 1799, France – d. 1850) Novelist, playwright.  Roman Catholic.  

Film Comment: I Am Curious(Yellow)/I Am Curious (Blue)

     The Swedish films I Am Curious (Yellow) (1967) and I Am Curious (Blue) (1968) were originally intended to be a single 3 1/2 hour long film.  The colors in the title refer to the Swedish flag.  If you are familiar with European films you know there will be lots of talking and that is what these films seem to be: a series of questions asked of numerous people by a very inquisitive character named Lena Nyman portrayed by an actress named Lena Nyman.

     These really are masterfully constructed pieces of cinematic art which feature techniques seen in many later films and television programs: audience aware characters, everyone using their real names, intermingling of the twin plots of the actors making the film and the characters being filmed, amateur non-actors, and cameras and sound equipment often being visible within a scene. 

     This may sound strange and it is.  Very little is familiar.  The film may seem plotless, but it's not. The film may seem disjointed, but it's not.  In the end, everything really does tie together and make sense, but not until the very end of Blue.

     The film(s) are always referred to as "our film" and, at their release, were condemned as pornographic for their casual acceptance of nudity and one scene of a sexual nature.  This missed the entire point of the two(one) film(s).  The films are a Marxist assault on almost everything you might recognize: religion, traditional sexuality, capitalism, marriage, the prison system, college education, meritocracy, traditional film making, etc.  The director and actors seem to have basically disappeared after the film(s) were released.

     The film(s) are a window into the Marxist world view.