Alpha Beta

 

Greek Alphabet slightly simplified for children

  My son-in-law works for Google and perhaps that is why I know that the parent company of Google is called Alphabet which is, in fact, described as a multinational conglomerate. The very word is Greek, or rather two Greek words conjoined, alpha, beta.

Greek vase showing alphabet

Ornamental letter D in old manuscript

The Greek alphabet has 24 letters, 7 of which are vowels, though we are not about to study them! BUT it is interesting to note that the Greek alphabet has been used since the late ninth or early eighth century BC, derived from the early Phoenician alphabet. As in so many other areas, the importance of the ancient Greeks in the history of the alphabet is paramount. All of the alphabets in use in European languages today are directly or indirectly related to the Greek. The Greek's particular achievement was to provide representations for vowel sounds not present in the Phoenician. Consonants plus vowels made a writing system which was both economical and unambiguous. The true alphabetical system has remained for 3,000 years with only slight modifications, an amazing vehicle of communication and expression among the most diverse nationalities and languages. The Greek alphabet has spread to many others but the most important and widespread descendants are the Latin, through the Etruscan, and Cyrillic alphabets. The Encyclopaedia Britannica points to the varied examples of alphabets displayed in everyday objects or areas of life, which have survived to give evidential proof of use, since ancient times onwards, through documents, grave inscriptions, lettering on vases and monuments, manuscripts, private and civic records.

Omicron variant

My interest in this has been stirred by the current habit of the naming of the various strains of Covid 19 after the Greek alphabet letters by the World Health Organisation though quite why Omicron has followed ‘Delta’ is a mystery! Should have been Epsilon! Perhaps something to do with the shape of the virus. It is very pleasing to see how easily the Greek names for the Covid variants, have been quickly accommodated into everyday language so easily. After 3,000 years and an academic record par excellence, even small children can recognise Omicron and use it correctly in the modern context.

 

Illumination in part of Wintergloed

And now for something completely different. Bruges' Wintergloed has been a resounding success; it is the long walk, devised by the commune, to enable spectators to follow a trail of lights and lighting effects in celebration of Christmas and the Christmas Market. The latter has been, I suspect, a little less successful this year; certainly, the twenty plus stalls on ‘t Zand packed up and left after the first week while the Markt, situated in the centre, was much busier. However the Walk of Light has been widely applauded and on opening night, an estimated 10,000 walked the walk. The burgemeister, Dirk de fauw, in fact, cancelled the display on the following evening, and weekend because of Covid anxieties. Notwithstanding, this year, the organisers have introduced a novel cultural element. In an endeavour to strike up a dialogue with the city through light and words, there has been a light installation on the Rozenhoedkaai and people are invited to write a haiku and send it in online. The best 20 haikus selected each week are then projected in light on the Rozenhoedkaai in a 10 minute loop of the best 20 haikus that week, for the following seven days. Alain, who is visiting at the moment from Cologne, has had his contribution selected; great joy this end!! Not to be outdone, I have just composed my own haiku [after all, I used to include haiku in my English Literature lessons half a century ago!] We shall see if honour ….. or possibly unreal, vain expectation

is met!

 

I should define Haiku for the uninitiated! It is a three line poem, non-rhymed, with 5,7,5 syllables in three lines totalling seventeen syllables. It emerged in seventeenth century Japan almost as a protest against the over-elaborate poetry of the time. My entry, in response to requests for haiku about Wintergloed, is published below as I realised, after sending it in on Jan.8th, that the whole Christmas Market including the Wintergloed finished on January 9th!!

Eyes shine in light

Bruges captures tranquillity

Bathed in Winter glow.

Haiku try to convey emotion through
specified verbal limits

And here is Alain's winning entry displayed in 
all its glory 

Kusse im Winter
Schenken Sommer im Herzen
Und Fruhling im Herbst

Kisses in Winter
Give Summer in the heart
And Spring in Autumn.

And a little part of the glorious display.
The Bandstand in Astridpark.

The two photographs above of Wintergloed, courtesy of
Joachim Diessner, Cologne.