Hello everybody!
There has been a recent unfortunate development-Antiquity’14 has been cancelled due to the college’s Annual Academic Congress, scheduled for the 5th, 6th and 7th of March.
Its sad, especially because we had all worked so hard towards it. But don’t lose hope guys, we are trying our best to make the individual events happen-just not under the aegis of Antiquity. So for all those who had sent their entries- we are going to make the individual events that you had applied for happen- we will intimate you with the details at the earliest. Hope to see you soon!
3 Popular Misconceptions About Popular Culture
So Antiquity is back, with a brand new theme – “Popular Culture Through the Ages”! But what exactly is popular culture?
Well, while it is quite a difficult task to assign an exact crisp definition to the phrase, something which will inevitably be explored during our fest, we can point out some of the things which popular culture is not. Read on!
3. Popular Culture is the same as Pop Culture
We often tend to abbreviate popular culture as “pop culture”. Why, abbreviations themselves are elements of present popular culture! However, although these two terms appear to be synonymous, there is a slight yet significant difference that sets “popular” culture apart from “pop” culture. Pop, in fact, has a narrower definition – it indicates something that carries attributes that could attract mass appeal, for example, pop music. However, popular culture is a wider phenomenon, including that which has become popular notwithstanding whether it contains the identified potentialities for doing so. Popular culture is never directly proportional to recognized standards of quality, morality or aestheticism.
2. Popular Culture is trivial
Popular culture has often come under harsh criticism from non-mainstream experts who have dismissed it as shallow, consumerist and even corrupted. They argue that in order to popularize an idea or attitude in the mainstream, it is stripped of meaningfulness and depth, decorated with superficial elements, and sensationalized by mass media for instant attraction among the masses. However, we must not make the mistake of taking popular culture for nothing more than mindless entertainment. Through its seemingly trivial features, popular culture accomplishes powerful functions. It includes much more than popular arts. It represents stereotypes, attitudes and icons and the values and beliefs held by the masses. Moreover, it provides them with an escape from the mundane, a shared feeling of familiarity and relatable connection with other people and media.
1. Popular Culture concerns merely “the present”
It is very easy to declare that popular culture is transient, ever-changing and survives in the present. These are all true. However, popular culture is not merely composed of present elements. Neither does it deal exclusively with what is happening right now. Its origins can be traced to historical phenomena and past attitudes. Dynamism, one of the fundamental facets of popular culture can in fact be understood and explained by the study of mass belief and behaviour in the past, which on comparison with present popular cultural elements can trace out definite patterns of continuation and change in mass belief and action over a period of culture.
ANTIQUITY’14 seeks to explore the origins of popular culture, its evolution through the ages, from its inception to its current form, as well as the factors responsible for its emergence and subsequent changes. It seeks to examine the historical facts and events surrounding it, aiding its dynamic development through past and present into the future. It all unfolds on the 11th of January, 2014. That makes it 12 days to go. Don’t wait till the end. Register now!
Theme for Antiquity: Popular Culture
This year Antiquity is bigger and better with the theme ‘Popular Culture’. The term “popular culture” was coined in 19th century, denoting the culture of the lower classes as opposed to the elites. However, today popular culture has had its widespread influence on all spheres of life and society-music, art, literature, science and technology, movies, athletics and fashion and has touched upon the lives of many living across the globe.
Antiquity 2014 brings you this exploratory theme for you to participate in fascinating events like paper presentation, online events-Creative writing, Photography and much more! By organising various Online and Offline Events at Antiquity this year, We shall Try and Explore the Various facets of Popular Culture, its legendary past and its future that awaits us.
So keep watching this space for all the updates and adventure regarding Antiquity 2014.
Antiquity 2013-2014
Antiquity is the annual History Department fest of Lady Shri Ram College and is one of the most renowned History fests of Delhi University. Each year, LSR is graced by the presence of famous historians and enthusiastic participants who make the events of Antiquity an amazing experience.
This time Antiquity is back, better than ever before and organized by a very hard working and engrossed team, and their only aim is to ensure that everyone takes back something from the fest, while having fun. The fest is not just for History undergraduates but for everyone who has an interest in the subject, in spite of their academic backgrounds.
So keep watching this space for all the updates and trivia for what promises to be the best edition of Antiquity ever. Antiquity is being held on 11th January 2014.
Hope to see you there 🙂
We at History Department, LSR were ever so lucky
On 13th September 2013, History Department of Lady Shri Ram College organized a talk by one of the most celebrated historians of today, Professor Upinder Singh. She is a professor in the Department of History at the University of Delhi. Professor Singh has a wide range of research interests and specializes in analysis of ancient and early medieval inscriptions, social and economic history, religious institutions and patronage, the history of archaeology and the modern history of ancient monuments. Her works have been published in many national and international journals and she has authored and edited many books on a wide range of topics pertaining to ancient Indian history.
On the previous occasion that Professor Singh had visited LSR, she had spoken on Ancient Delhi. This time, she introduced us to some vital aspects pertaining to ‘War in Ancient India’, and how different political ideas were woven into sources such as texts and inscriptions, visual sources, etc. Ancient India is portrayed as a peace-loving era where Buddhism, Jainism and Ashoka symbolized peace. This makes the study and research on war and violence of that period all the more interesting and important. She spoke of three texts which are extremely different in nature and what they have to say about war and violence and how the intellectuals dealt with it.
In the one and half hour that this eminent historian graced our college, we were transported to the courts of Ashoka where he was giving orders to write the Pillar Edict 13, then to the world of Nitisara where Kamandaka speaks about the types of war and power. Finally we entered the world of Kalidasa’s kavya of Raghuvamsha where he aestheticizes war. The entire department was enthralled by Professor Singh’s in-depth knowledge of the subject and her aura. It was a wonderful and academically enriched afternoon with interesting questions being posed by budding historians and deep insights on ancient Indian war. The afternoon ended with these young undergraduate students standing in long queues to get their books autographed. We look forward to the future visits of professor Singh to our college and to her bringing this wonderful subject to life.
Report by Shreya Chowdhury
Fear of the 13th – By :Shreya Chowdhury
Ever wondered why is the number 13 considered to be unlucky? Why unconsciously we get anxious when we have some important work on a 13th, especially if it is a Friday?
Triskaidekaphobia is the fear of the number 13 which is considered to be bad luck in Western culture. While fear for 13 can be traced back to the medieval times, the term is of recent times, coined Coriat (1911; Simpson and Weiner 1992). It seems to have first appeared in the general media in a Nov. 8, 1953 New York Times article covering discussions of a United Nations committee.
The most common association of 13 to being bad luck is with Christianity. There were 13 people in the Last Supper. Judas, the apostle, who betrayed Jesus, was the 13th guest.
Another historical basis of 13 bringing bad luck is from Norse mythology. God Odin had invited 12 of his closest friends for a dinner party to his house in Valhalla. Loki, the god of evil and turmoil, who gate crashed the party was the 13th guest. Legend has it that Balder, the god of joy and gladness, tried to throw Loki out of the party but was killed in the melee with mistletoe arrow. “Balder died and the whole earth got dark. The whole earth mourned. It was a bad unlucky day”, says Dossy, folklore historian and author of Holiday Folklore, Phobias and Fun. Since that day it was considered ominous and foreboding. In Ancient Rome, witched supposedly gathered in groups of 12. The 13th was considered to be the devil.
Interestingly, Thomas Fernsler, an associate policy scientist in the Mathematics and Science Education Resource Centre at the University of Delaware in Newark, says that number 13 suffers because of its position after 12. The number 12 is considered to be the “complete number”. There are 12 months in a year, 12 zodiac signs, 12 gods of Olympus , 12 labors of Hercules, 12 tribes of Israel, 12 apostles of Jesus. Hence, exceeding 12 by 1, Fernsler says that 13’s association with ill fate “has to do with just being a little beyond completeness. The number becomes restless and squirmy.”
As for Friday, it is well known that Jesus was crucified on Friday. Some biblical scholars believe that Eve tempted Adam with the forbidden fruit on a Friday. But the most significant is the belief that Abel was slain by Cain on Friday the 13th. The association of bad luck with Friday appeared in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales in late 14th century (“…and on a Friday fell all this misfortune.”)
While 13 is the number of people in the last supper and Friday was the day of crucification, could have led to the association of bad luck to the combination. Interestingly, association of Friday the 13 with arrest of Jacques de Molay, Grand Master of the Knights of Templar on Friday, October 13, 1307 by King Phillipe IV of France (as repeated in Dan Brown’s novel The Da Vinci Code is a modern-day invention (Mikkelson and Mikkelson). The fear of Friday the 13th is known as paraskevidekatriaphobia.
When we talk of numerology, the number 13 has a different story to tell. 13 is a Karmic number. It is associated with leadership qualities, etc. the number symbolizes changes and gain in authority and power.
The number 13 also has different interpretations in different cultures. On the pyramids in Egypt, there is a picture number 13 named ‘La Muerte’ which symbolizes death. In the picture there is a skeleton with Scythe (death) reaping down men and a crowned head of a man fallen at the point of the scythe. At its back, is a female head with flowing hair parted in the centre. This is symbol of the conception of realization. Most people believe that it indicates death, transmutation, deception, destruction, hope, faith and rebirth.
The fear of 13 began during the medieval times. However, it haunts us till date. Australian Cricketers consider 87 to be unlucky since it is 13 short of 100. Many high-rise buildings avoid having the 13th floor. In the USA, numbering streets as 13th Avenue is avoided. On streets in Florence, Italy, the house between number 12 and 14 is addressed as 12 and a half. In France socialites known as the quatorziens (fourteeners) once made themselves available as 14th guests to keep a dinner party from an unlucky fate.
An example of a triskaidekaphobic person is President Franklin D. Roosevelt who was quite fearful of the number 13. It is said that he took great pains to avoid hosting a meal for a group of that size. If he had a cancellation and it looked as if there might be 13 people to lunch, he invited his secretary to join them so there wouldn’t be 13.
. “They haven’t lost their mind. They’ve lost control of their mind,” Dossey said of triskaidekaphobes. “They are focused in the wrong direction. In their mind they have a big, large, looming picture of something horrible that could happen.” Folklore offer remedies to triskaidekaphobia. One recommendation is to climb to the top of a mountain or skyscraper and burn all the socks you own that have holes in them. Another is to stand on your head and eat a piece of gristle. It is interesting to see how a simple number dominates human life. A wise man once said “Life is a journey where we create our own luck”. The question arises, do we work towards constructing our luck or should we leave it on a mystical number? The answer might lie somewhere in the middle.
Meow!!! – By : Shreya Chowdhury
“Oh!! A black cat has crossed my path. My day is ruined.” How many times have we said this line or heard others say it? Why do we blame the poor feline for our supposed ill fortune? How did it all start?
The dread of cats, especially black ones, first began in Europe, particularly in England around the 14thcentury, when the witch hysteria struck that region. Alley cats were fed by poor, lonely women, who were accused of witchcraft and black magic. Hence, their cat companions were deemed guilty of witchery by association. In mainland Europe, black cats were associated with the devil himself during the Middle Ages. The Feast of St. John (June 24th) was a particularly dangerous time for black cats. Black cats were rounded up and burnt alive on bonfires. It was a common belief that this was the evening when witches from all over Europe had their gathering. The church encouraged this practice, believing black cats were the devil’s helpers. The only thing that could save a black cat from being burnt alive was a white spot, no matter how small. A white spot on a black cat was known as the “Angel’s mark” and was the only saving grace for the cat from the flames of fire.
One popular tale behind this superstition has its setting in the 1560s in Lincolnshire. A father and his son were said to have been traveling one moonless night when a black cat crossed their path. Out of fear, they threw rocks at the furry feline until the helpless injured creature scurried out into the house of a woman who, at that time, was suspected of being a witch. The next day, the father and son came across the same woman and noticed she was limping and bruised and believed that to be more than just a coincidence. From that day onwards in Lincolnshire, it was thought that witches could turn into black cats at night. The belief of witches transforming themselves into black cats in order to prowl streets unobserved became a central belief in America during the Salem witch hunts. Even today the association of black cats and witches holds strong during Halloween celebrations. Thus, an animal once looked on with approbation became a symbol of evil omens in some parts of the world.
In France, there was a superstition about a magical cat called the matagot, which was black in colour and considered evil. However, the matagot could bring prosperity if certain rules were followed. One had to lure the cat with chicken. Once the cat was caught, it was to be placed in a box and carried home. During the journey back home, it was extremely important to not look back, not even once. After the black cat was settled in the house, one had to give the matagot the first bit of every single meal. It was supposed to bring the owner good luck. But the matagot was to be released before the owner grew old. Otherwise he would have die in agony.
Cats are not mistreated by all societies. All cats, including black ones, were held in high esteem among the ancient Egyptians and protected by law from injury and death. So strong was cat idolatry that a pet’s death was mourned by the entire family, and both rich and poor embalmed the bodies of their cats in exquisite fashion, wrapping them in fine linen and placing them in mummy cases made of precious materials such as bronze and even wood – a scarcity in timber-poor Egypt. Entire cat cemeteries have been unearthed by archaeologists, with mummified black cats being commonplace. Black cats were once treated like royalty in the homes of English sailors, who believed that keeping them happy would ensure fair weather when they went to sea. They became so high-priced that few sailors could afford them!
Cultures all around the world have different Cat superstitions:
- Ø In what was known as Bohemia in western Czechoslovakia, the cat is regarded as a symbol of fertility and one buried in a field of grain will guarantee a good harvest.
- Ø Japanese sailors have long taken tricoloured or me’kay cats on their ships to bring them good luck. The figure of a cat with its left paw raised is commonly seen in gift shops in that country, where they are sold as souvenirs. It is believed that the beckoning cat brings good fortune to its owner.
- Ø Indonesians and Malays believe that if you wash your cat it will bring rain.
Cats are perceived very differently in different parts of the world. They are little, cute, furry creatures who bring immense joy to pet-owners. They are wonderful domestic animals and most households love to possess cats as pets that liven up their lives, irrespective of the luck factor associated with them.
The History in Me- Sneha Roychoudhury
In the kaleidoscopic wave of last month’s “Form-filling-running-around-for-admission” trance, I have hardly been able to devote time to reflection and introspection. Considering it, as I do now, the drive and the dream to come to a space as prestigious as Lady Shri Ram College, had entirely overpowered every other feeling in me, for as long as I can remember. Achieving this feat has, at long last, given me a composed opportunity to be able to contemplate over the deeper and more profound thoughts of my flitting, restless mind. This brings me to address the one question that various (innumerable in fact) people all around me have asked-“Why history?”
To be able to describe what has been a gradual and beautiful urge to choose history and take it up as a career option is a mammoth task, to say the least. Its inception can be dated way back to the blithe days of my prime when my grandfather’s glorious tales of gallant kings and noble knights had swept me off my feet right into the lap of unfolding, enchanting magic from unheard lands, of unanswered questions, of captivating men and women at war with themselves and the world around them. This very initial interest grew, over the years, into the deepest of love and passion for the times of yore, nurtured then, by keen analysis and extensive reading, into captivation. To even attempt putting a finger on the precise reasons for such immense love would only be rather futile. But undeniably, there was motivation; there were inspirations and most certainly aspirations of a young girl’s dreaming heart that drove her, that lit her with a fire bright enough to help her burn down conventional boundaries and take history up as the companion of a lifetime.
To do for the world, to be able to work for the greater good, to want to reach out- these are some of the most intense ambitions that bring a woman to a Space as fulfilling as LSR. And hence here I am “Heart within and God o’erhead” (-H.W. Longfellow) to belong to a social community that believes in and is convinced of its resolution to model young minds in casts of generosity and compassion, create responsible women who pioneer the cause of the weak, the politically oppressed, women who take from history and give back to it, women who have learnt how one’s history defines one, how hate and malice should be demolished for all they bring is shame to mankind’s past. Women whose names are carved, in more ways than one, on the extolled edifices of Time.
History has been a choice because it has touched me. It has taught me who I am and who I’ll never be. It has shaped me and taught me to seek for unending answers. History is the story of my quest, my seeking the human being in me, the quest of my soul and the follies of my kind.
Wise words.
History In Us – By Kimngaihoi Vaiphei
While travelling in a metro, bus or any other form of transport, have you ever observed a fellow passenger and based on how they are dressed, what they are currently engaged in during the travel, which stop they got on or off at, the vibe they exhibited etc., created stories they might hold in your head; about who they are, what they do and more, without actually having a conversation with them? Well, if you have, then welcome to the club. Because that is what, in the most basic of terms, we as students of history strive to do- tell the stories of the people of the past by interpreting the few evidences available to us. Yes, in many ways, it is guess-work which is why the discovery of even the tiniest of new data can dissolve everything you have already learnt so far. Well, that’s the thing about the past; it is always fragile yet futile to our present.
“HISTORY” – It is a pretty big term. It covers up the entire Humanities stream. History is, after all, the foundation of every subject. Well, if someone was to judge you based on your past, wouldn’t you want them to analyse it from each and every aspect so that they truly understand the reasons behind why you did what you did?
When we’re macro-viewing the subject, it is fascinating and intriguing but when it comes to the micro level, day-to-day studying, well, that picture isn’t as pretty. So, let’s stick with the macro-analysing to dupe future student prospects into taking this subject. (Evil laugh)
During this whole admission debacle, many juniors have asked me the benefits of studying history, well here’s my answer.
They say one must learn from the past. Well, the lessons learnt:
1. If you don’t like someone. Get them killed. Become more powerful. Boast about what you’ve done and scare other enemies into surrendering.*
2. If you don’t like someone. Get them killed. Play innocent and take their throne.*
3. If you really, truly hate someone. Get them killed. Murder isn’t a crime if you hated him.*
4. If you don’t hate anyone. Get a lot of wives and mistresses.*
*Terms and conditions apply.
You must be a powerful political leader with little conscience, who makes the rules of the land (though in theory doesn’t) .
Well, thanks to having studied history, we now have the UN, Peace Corps, Human Rights Commission and the likes. Yes, barbarism is no longer an encouraged way of life. Political leader or not. Well if you were a student of history, you would also learn the etymology of the term, “barbaric” and how apt the function of the word is.
All jokes aside, the more you study about the past, the more you wonder about the present and the genuineness of the phrase “history always repeats itself”. Some may say that might be a good thing but who knows. Do we humans really learn from our mistakes especially when given the choice not to? Well, someday future history students will analyse and answer that question for us perhaps.
History Department 