Written In Stone, The Mystery Lives On

    Fresh from another lecture I feel eager to get down some thoughts and opinions on the topic involved. This week we looked at the 'Origins Of Communication', and I thought that this would be the perfect opportunity to delve deeper into a local phenomenon.

    Feeling something of an ancestral pull by my ancient forefathers, I feel happily obliged to introduce the uninitiated to the world of the Picts and their mysterious standing stones.

The Standing Stones, Callanish, Isle of Lewis.

 
     The Picts were were the ancient natives of the land now known as Scotland. When the Romans conquered Britain, the land to the north known to the Romans as Caledonia, was home to fierce, colourful and culturally rich tribes known to the Romans as the 'Picti' (Painted Ones). Very little is known of these mysterious people in real terms, as their presence was later absorbed by the kingdom of Scotland when the 'Scotti' came through the west from the Emerald Isle, known as Ireland.

     Very little remains to prove their existence, apart from some of their physical treasures and weaponry, and a few personal names, such as 'Carr' and 'Marr', and a number of place names mainly beginning with Pitt, such as Pitlochry and Pitcarmick. The most enigmatic evidence left by the Picts, exists in the form of their enthralling standing stones, and the symbols carved upon them.

     The stones left all over Scotland by the Picts remain the most curious facet of their culture, with no one completely understanding where the symbols used first appeared. Over 350 stones have been discovered so far, and over all the stones there are around forty different symbols or ideograms that occur over the range designs. The symbols appearing were grouped into three categories :

     The abstract designs, such as the 'Double-disc and Z-Rod' and the 'Crescent and V-Rod'. These symbols are not representational, and highly stylised, and are some of the most recognisable symbols associated with the Picts.

The Serpent Stone, Aberlemno.

     Secondly, we have the creatures. These consist of real creatures, that were native to the lands of Scotland, such as snakes, salmons and wolves. However mystical creatures appear on some stones. The most well known case is that of the 'Pictish Beast', a unique mythical creature with a dolphin-like face. The creature only exists in the form of Pictish carvings, and is a mysterious figure, one which I find very interesting, it being an example of the Picts imagination and mythology. 

 

     The last group consists of ordinary objects, such as a hammer and anvil, or the mirror and the comb. These objects were not as fantastical as the other symbols used by the Picts, however they may have had a more practical meaning in their culture. They often appear in pairs and towards the bottom of the stones.

     The meanings of the symbols used are not known, and perhaps never will be, with their true meaning lost in time, along with most of their culture. It is believed that they are not a communication of language, as certain discoveries demonstrate a written Pictish language that existed, suggesting that the stones may have a more symbolic or interpretative meaning. It is amazing to wonder why the Picts would erect these stones over an area hundreds of miles in each direction, with the symbols used being consistent to a degree. Even more so, when you consider that the period during which these stones were made was around 300 years in length. Some of the symbols used on the stones are not unique to the rocks, symbols matching them have been found decorating ordinary objects such as jewellery, and painted on cave walls. 

'The Wolfstone', Hill of Keillor, by Cameron Mitchell

 

     Many people have attempted to interpret what the symbols used actually mean, but ultimately these are only the opinions of individuals, as no one can actually state with authority the meaning of these shapes, due to a lack of other evidence which blocks our full understanding of the stones. Without a 'Rosetta Stone' style of discovery, the interpretation of the stones will forever be uncertain and down to the individual viewing the stone to make of it what they will.

     For me, while I may form opinions on what the symbols could mean, I know that they are only my interpretation, and instead I prefer to view the stones and symbols as a link to my heritage, a concrete and tactile way in which to appreciate my history and just where I came from. I also am in awe at the craftsmanship and artwork that went into making these carvings, considering that they have stood the test of time for over 1000 years. 

 

(all pictures used are the copyright of the relevant owners. No copyright infringement intended.)

Sitting in the sunshine with Ray Harryhausen

       The summer of 2013 in Scotland, has been unusually warm and long. It was in this bright realm that I carried out a project that had been set by our tutors before leaving on the summer break. I chose to spend this time writing about one of my favorite people, Ray Harryhausen. 


      Childhood can leave us with many fond memories, and set us up with tastes and preferences for the future. Of these good memories, a deep enjoyment of the warm, fuzzy and sightly clunky movement of the fantastic creatures found in 'Jason and the Argonauts', 'The 7^th Voyage of Sinbad', etc. have left me with a profound and lasting admiration for the works of their creator, Ray Harryhausen. 

      Ray Harryhausen's journey started in 1933, after watching 'King Kong' on the big screen. He was inspired by what he had seen, and wanted to be able to replicate the animated effects used in the film. Ray spent his youth experimenting with model dinosaurs and early stop motion effects, determined to be able to create a lifelike performance from his models. He practiced these techniques in his back garden and later in his parents garage, using very basic equipment, such as an old 16mm camera.

      At the age of 18, Ray was able to meet the man behind the animated effects used in 'King Kong,' Willis O'Brien. Willis admired Rays ambition however advised that Ray spend some time studying art and anatomy, which would help his animation skills. Ray followed his advice, and later in 1949, O'Brien approached Ray, with an offer to work alongside him on the film 'Mighty Joe Young'. Ray produced most of the animated sequences for this film, which went on to win an Academy Award for Best Special Effects. 

 

      In 1951, Ray was given a chance to work on his first feature film, a movie that would become 'The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms'. It was during the production of his animated scenes for this film that Ray pioneered a new method of split screen animation to combine his models and the live action together. This process later became known as the famous Dynamotion. The method basically sandwiched the model between two panes onto which the live action was projected, giving the illusion that the model was a part of the scene. During the rest of the decade, Ray made animated effects for several films including 'Earth vs the Flying Saucers' and '20 Million Miles to Earth'.

       Rays work on 'The 7^th Voyage of Sinbad' is notable as it was Rays first foray into using colour film with his special effects. The results are beautiful, being able to see Ray's work in a blurred warmth, with sequences such as the sword fight between Sinbad and the Magicians Skeleton being one of Ray's best scenes. 

 

Later in 1963 with 'Jason and The Argonauts', Ray shot another scene with skeletons, this time using seven of them. This is the famous battle in which Jason and his men fight against the 'Children of the Hydra', a scene which Ray choreographed and directed the live action for, in order to achieve a more believable performance when it came to the stages of animation. The animation for this sequence took four and a half months to capture, and I believe it was worth it, as this is my favourite moment from all of Rays sequences. It is so complex and precise, with several different animated events all happening at once on the screen.

      Ray worked on many more movies in the years following, including 'One Million Years BC', 'The Valley of Gwangi', and 'The Golden Voyage of Sinbad'

The last feature film that Ray worked on was 'Clash of the Titans' in 1981. Once again based on Greek legends, this film features the captivating scene with the Medusa. This scene is worthy of note due to the complexity of shooting it. Ray had to not only move the Medusa each frame, he also needed to move each snake upon hear head independently, as well as adjusting the lighting every frame, to imitate torchlight. I really admire the effect Ray achieved with this scene, and it is one I fondly remember from watching as a child. 

 

       Ray Harryhausen was a pioneer in his field. He was a master at his craft, passionate about what he did, a fact clearly visible in his work. His influence is a large factor in today’s world of modern CGI effects. Ray was able to produce all of his effects single-handedly, from concept to finished effect. This is a far cry from today's effects workplace, where teams of people will work together to build an effect or scene, which in my opinion, rarely shows the character that Ray's work had.

      Ray was also an inspiration to many of today’s film-makers. Directors such as Tim Burton, James Cameron, and Peter Jackson all have quoted Ray as having been an inspirational figure through his work. The fact that Ray has had such a large influence on others goes to show how much of a landmark Rays work was in the field of visual effects, setting the bar by creating a professional output on what was at the time a minuscule budget. 

 

       Much as the aforementioned people inspired by Ray, I myself have been inspired by Ray Harryhausen. As a child I watched Ray's films with wonder, marveling over his fantasy creatures, and magical effects. Ray Harryhausen is, in my opinion, one of, if not the - worlds best animator. Ray's work was a massive influence on my decision to choose animation as a field to study, and he will always remain a huge inspiration to myself. His dedication to his field, his creative vision and his quality of output is a standard by which I hope to follow.

     The advancements that Ray brought during his time in the film industry are many, and were pioneering and landmark at the time. His name, and Dynamotion, have since gained legendary status. Many of his films are now regarded as classics, and are still as impressive as the day audiences first saw them. Ray single-handedly brought with him a huge leap forward in visual effects, one which still affects people to this day, and the question is, will there ever be someone who will make as much of an impression as Harryhausen? In today’s world of visual effects and animation, where computers reign over the field, the chances of one person making as much of a difference as Ray, making such a change to the status quo, are quite unlikely. 

 

(All pictures used, are the copyright of the relevant owners. No copyright infringement intended.)

Hang in there folks, this might get bumpy....!