We All Live on a Yellow Submarine

The concept of an underwater boat has roots deep in antiquity. Although there are images of men using hollow sticks to breathe underwater for hunting at the temples at Thebes, the first known military use is of divers being used to clear obstructions during the siege of Syracuse (about 413 BC), according to the History of the Peloponnesian War. At the siege of Tyre in 332 BC divers were again used by Alexander the Great, according to Aristotle. Later legends from Alexandria, Egypt, in the 12th century AD suggested that he had used a primitive submersible for reconnaissance missions. This seems to have been a form of diving bell, and was depicted in a 16th-century Islamic painting.


                                          

A 16th-century Islamic painting depicting Alexander the Great being lowered in a glass submersible.


The first version of a submarine came from the mind of William Bourne, an English manager for an inn and magnificent scientist. He was an English mathematician, innkeeper and former Royal Navy gunner who invented the first navigable submarine and wrote important navigational manuals. He is often called William Bourne of Gravesend. His design, detailed in his book Inventions and Devises published in 1578, was one of the first recorded plan for an underwater navigation vehicle. He designed an enclosed craft capable of submerging by decreasing the overall volume (rather than flooding chambers as in modern submarines), and being rowed underwater. Bourne described a ship with a wooden frame covered in waterproofed leather, but the description was a general principle rather than a detailed plan. However, Bourne's concept of an underwater rowing boat was put into action by the Dutchman Cornelius Drebbel in 1620, and Nathaniel Symons demonstrated a 'sinking boat' in 1729 using the expanding and contracting volume of the boat to submerge. The submarine was the subject of a modern-day recreation on season 3 of "The Re-Inventors" TV show, episode "Bourne Submarine". The recreation had limited functionality before it sank when water pressure ruptured some membranes on a test descent.


                                       
Some years later, this drawing purported to be Bourne's scheme: leather-wrapped pads which can be screwed in toward the centerline to create a flooded chamber, and screwed out to expel the water and seal the opening.

However, Bourne wrote of expanding and contracting structures, not flooding chambers – and submarines built in England in 1729 and France in 1863 conformed with his idea exactly.

You may not know, but in the time of William Bourne, the song Yellow Submarine was written. It was not an original by the Beatles. Here's the original excerpt of William Bourne's poem.
In the town where Willy was born,
Lived a man who sailed to sea, (The poet was actually talking about William Bourne here)
And he told us of his life,
In the land of submarines,
So he made some blue prints
Near the sea with submarines,

He made the first model out of steel
then used the color on the leaves
cause he was color blind
and saw the sea green,

So after his first model sank
he lived beneath the waves,
In his green submarine.

Vikings

                                              The Vikings were savages

I am not quite sure of the history of the Vikings, and neither is the internet, but I percieve that the vikings were pillagers who had no pity. They ransacked towns, killing just about everyone who did not comply with their demands. They were large men, closely related to barbarians.

The noun viking comes from Old Norse, meaning "expedition overseas".

They travelled much by sea, using longships and knarrs.

                 
               
Longships were used for warfare and exploration, designed for speed and agility. The longship had oars stick out from its side, which were rowed by strong men.

                              
The knarr was mostly used for cargo, even though they were some times used for warfare.


According to custom, all free Norse men were required to own weapons, as well as permitted to carry them all the time. These arms were also indicative of a Viking's social status: a wealthy Viking would have a complete ensemble of a helmet, shield, chainmail shirt, and sword. A typical bóndi was more likely to fight with a spear and shield, and most also carried a seax as a utility knife and side-arm. Bows were used in the opening stages of land battles, and at sea, but tended to be considered less "honorable" than a hand weapon. Vikings were relatively unusual for the time in their use of axes as a main battle weapon. The Húscarls, the elite guard of King Cnut were armed with two-handed axes which could split shields or metal helmets with
ease.

Even though Vikings were savages, they had feelings.  They expressed their emotions with music, whether it was through chants for sacrifices, or songs played on the lyre with a lively tune. Foreigners thought of their music as ugly. An Arab merchant visiting Hereby, Denmark, in the 10th century had this to say about the Viking's singing: "Never before I have heard uglier songs than those of the Vikings in Slesvig (in Denmark). The growling sound coming from their throats reminds me of dogs howling, only more untamed." Another visitor compared their singing to the sound of a heavily loaded cart rolling down a hillside. The storyteller explains the sound was a result of lack of moderation in contact with alcohol. (Obviously, even back then, beer and brass music obviously went well together.) 

There were two kinds of musicians back in viking times: Jesters and Skalds. Jesters were held in low regards, as they were commonly used for humor and court. You could kill a jester and not recieve punishment for the activity. Skalds travelled all around viking territory, singing to the viking chiefs and kings of the realm.

In conclusion, vikings were very vile creatures(Arghhhh!) who killed many and ransacked lots of land, but they still had a heart that held beautiful(not really) viking songs that made their lives worthwhile.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viking

Music is awesome

During our music appreciation class we listened to different types of musics in different Eras. For example we listened to the Modern type music, Classical period, Romantic period, Renaissance period, and Medieval period. I really enjoyed listening to all these different types of music especially the Classical and Medieval period. Classical music has a peaceful and exciting kind of feeling , although sometimes it has a very thick texture or multiple melodies at once, I still think it shares a little bit of the same sensation in itself.
In my opinion some of the best samples of music in this era are: Symphony No.9 by Beethoven and Symphony No.35 by Mozart.
Medieval period music was good and fun to listen to. In this era instruments weren't used very much because people didn't have different types of them like todays. So they used their voices to make different sounds as an instrument in the background or made harmony with the voice of the singer. This is exactly what Louis Armstrong did in 40s and 50s when in the middle of the song everybody stopped and he grabbed the old microphone and started making sounds like "Ba bam da doraab.." or how he started the song "When you're smilling"
I think one of the best examples of Medieval period is "Sumer is Icumen In" (This is not the original version and its a bit faster) Yes this song reminds us of old men with long white beard walking down the road in a jogging way and singing this song! This was actually made after the time when in Europe the weather was so cold that farmers couldn't grow anything and people were hungry and you can tell that these people were happy that summer was coming. (Quote from Mr.Allder: Life sucked for these people for a long time so they're happy that its summer! - you're the best)
Finally we listened to an ancient Greek music called "Seikilos epitaph" (It starts at 00:20).It is the oldest example of music that survived. I was really excited to listen to it cause I wanted to hear in which ways their music in old days were different than the other times and eras. The texture is very thin in this song because we have only the string instrument and the voice of the singer. Also the string instrument has harmony with the singer whenever she starts to sing. I think it is really cool that Greek had developed a musical system in the third or fourth century.

Hi there!

My name is Nima. I'm a senior at GreenbrierEast Highschool. I really like music and I listen to amlost any kind of music and thats why I'm in music appreciation class! Yes thats right this blog is for my class..
I'm also learning how to play Guitar and Piano in school.