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bebootsSo at the moment, I'm watching the Opening Ceremonies of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics with my Canadian father and my British mother. I think that most of you know that I am Canadian myself. I've actually spent a lot of the past hour and a half explaining the Canadian symbolism to my mum - sometimes anticipating what the commenter is saying by a minute or two. I just thought that I'd explain a few things to those of you who may be watching it but know little of Canadian culture.
(Yeah, I know, Canada has culture? WE TOTALLY DO I SWEAR. >_> )
Some of you may have been confused by that guy fiddling in that floating canoe with the moon. Who the heck was he? Why did he have such funny hair? Well, the symbolism comes from a traditional French Canadian tale called, in English, the Witched Canoe. Read more about it here. The quicknotes version is that some voyageurs/loggers in the 1800s make a deal with the devil (hence the crazy spiked hair of the fiddler in question) to paddle their canoe huge distances at night. Read the link to see if it ends well.
You may have noticed some of the performers wearing sashes like these: http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utilisateur:Michellebeauvais/Brouillons/Ceinture_fléchée
They're called Arrow Sashes (or Ceintures fléchées). They're a traditional French Canadian garment, worn around the waist. They're good for keeping the cold out by preventing drafts from below, they're good back braces (for heavy lifting!), can be used to drag heavy loads, and, of course, they look snazzy. They're also worn by the Métis people, which is where you most often see them these days. The Métis are considered an aboriginal group in Canada (and I think the United States); they're actually the decedents of white fur traders (Orkney Islanders and Scotsmen, mostly, if you were working with the Hudson's Bay Company, or French Canadians if you worked for the Nor'Westers, the rival company) and native women (usually Cree and Denee, at least in the region where I live, Edmonton). They have a unique blend of native and European cultures. They're a really neat facet of the much-touted multiculturalism of Canada.
Speaking of native cultures... the totem poles and similar iconography are actually specific to the art of natives from one region of Canada, not all of it - the West Coast (conveniently where Vancouver is located)... despite the fact that you see totem pole knick-knacks sold in tourist traps all over Canada and the US. Again, they're specific to the west coast. I mean things in this style: http://www.pathgallery.com/itoolkit.asp?pg=products&specific=joqmeqi8
http://www.freespiritgallery.ca/Images/killerwhale2.jpg
Which is also, incidentally, the style that Olympic mascots like Sumi are based off of.
(And hey guys, did anybody else think that the light orcas were pretty darn cool? With the spray from the blowholes? AWESOME)
Spirit bears (AKA that giant LED light bear puppet) aren't polar bears. They're black bears who have white fur. They're NOT polar bears or albinos. They feature in many native cultures - and they actually exist. They're NOT made up animals.
I suppose that I should speak about what the heck the official Olympic symbol is - it's everywhere, and few people know what it is. I don't mean the rings - I mean the Inukshuk. (Well, the official spelling is "Inuksuk", but everyone I know pronounces it with a "sh" sound... oh, and for the record, the plural is "Inuksuit" - thank you, wikipedia!) They're Inuit in origin (yes, that means that they're not from the North West coast, where Vancouver is located. They're mixing and matching native symbols!) They're meant to look like a person (arms, legs, head). They're used as navigation markers - to show the way, mostly. (Symbolism! ... and hopefully foreshadowing, for Canada?) You can actually see them on the sides of highways in Alberta and British Columbia, at least, on bluffs overlooking the road. At least, I've seen them there before as I've driven around the country.
Oh, and if you don't know... Who are the Four First Nations Hosts? Check them out here: http://www.fourhostfirstnations.com/ I really love that the government has involved them - acknowledging them as nations within a nation. :) After the troubled history natives have had with the Canadian government, I love that they have become involved to such an extent.
Anyway... My brain is going. I'm a heretic - I'm actually not going to watch the rest of the opening ceremony - I'm going to bed. However, if you guys have any questions - like, why do they keep talking about the True North Strong and Free? Who the heck is Michaëlle Jean, and how do you even pronounced her name? Please feel free to ask me!
(Yeah, I know, Canada has culture? WE TOTALLY DO I SWEAR. >_> )
Some of you may have been confused by that guy fiddling in that floating canoe with the moon. Who the heck was he? Why did he have such funny hair? Well, the symbolism comes from a traditional French Canadian tale called, in English, the Witched Canoe. Read more about it here. The quicknotes version is that some voyageurs/loggers in the 1800s make a deal with the devil (hence the crazy spiked hair of the fiddler in question) to paddle their canoe huge distances at night. Read the link to see if it ends well.
You may have noticed some of the performers wearing sashes like these: http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utilisateur:Michellebeauvais/Brouillons/Ceinture_fléchée
They're called Arrow Sashes (or Ceintures fléchées). They're a traditional French Canadian garment, worn around the waist. They're good for keeping the cold out by preventing drafts from below, they're good back braces (for heavy lifting!), can be used to drag heavy loads, and, of course, they look snazzy. They're also worn by the Métis people, which is where you most often see them these days. The Métis are considered an aboriginal group in Canada (and I think the United States); they're actually the decedents of white fur traders (Orkney Islanders and Scotsmen, mostly, if you were working with the Hudson's Bay Company, or French Canadians if you worked for the Nor'Westers, the rival company) and native women (usually Cree and Denee, at least in the region where I live, Edmonton). They have a unique blend of native and European cultures. They're a really neat facet of the much-touted multiculturalism of Canada.
Speaking of native cultures... the totem poles and similar iconography are actually specific to the art of natives from one region of Canada, not all of it - the West Coast (conveniently where Vancouver is located)... despite the fact that you see totem pole knick-knacks sold in tourist traps all over Canada and the US. Again, they're specific to the west coast. I mean things in this style: http://www.pathgallery.com/itoolkit.asp?pg=products&specific=joqmeqi8
http://www.freespiritgallery.ca/Images/killerwhale2.jpg
Which is also, incidentally, the style that Olympic mascots like Sumi are based off of.
(And hey guys, did anybody else think that the light orcas were pretty darn cool? With the spray from the blowholes? AWESOME)
Spirit bears (AKA that giant LED light bear puppet) aren't polar bears. They're black bears who have white fur. They're NOT polar bears or albinos. They feature in many native cultures - and they actually exist. They're NOT made up animals.
I suppose that I should speak about what the heck the official Olympic symbol is - it's everywhere, and few people know what it is. I don't mean the rings - I mean the Inukshuk. (Well, the official spelling is "Inuksuk", but everyone I know pronounces it with a "sh" sound... oh, and for the record, the plural is "Inuksuit" - thank you, wikipedia!) They're Inuit in origin (yes, that means that they're not from the North West coast, where Vancouver is located. They're mixing and matching native symbols!) They're meant to look like a person (arms, legs, head). They're used as navigation markers - to show the way, mostly. (Symbolism! ... and hopefully foreshadowing, for Canada?) You can actually see them on the sides of highways in Alberta and British Columbia, at least, on bluffs overlooking the road. At least, I've seen them there before as I've driven around the country.
Oh, and if you don't know... Who are the Four First Nations Hosts? Check them out here: http://www.fourhostfirstnations.com/ I really love that the government has involved them - acknowledging them as nations within a nation. :) After the troubled history natives have had with the Canadian government, I love that they have become involved to such an extent.
Anyway... My brain is going. I'm a heretic - I'm actually not going to watch the rest of the opening ceremony - I'm going to bed. However, if you guys have any questions - like, why do they keep talking about the True North Strong and Free? Who the heck is Michaëlle Jean, and how do you even pronounced her name? Please feel free to ask me!
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Date: 2010-02-13 08:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-02-13 09:05 pm (UTC)They have nice snow, though, when they have it. And a nice view. But seriously, not a winter-y place.
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Date: 2010-08-02 06:55 am (UTC)football (http://football-live.tv)
no subject
Date: 2010-08-02 03:00 pm (UTC)