T(w)o Magical Fireflies
Written: 2008-08-29 11:10:21
Firefly... I love the word and I have no idea why but it has been on my mind all morning so I decided to write down what caused me to go back to my childhood. Firefly somehow reminds me of the time I spent in France. As a child I would spend a month in France each summer, twelve years in a row. After those twelve years when I was old enough to travel on my own I would still go there each year but I would often stay with friends in Paris. I love France and I still have a soft spot for Paris which I hope to visit again in the near future!
I would stay at the same place each year: a large house owned by a rich baroness and maintained by a Dutch person, about 60km south from Paris in a tiny rural village. The baroness lived in a castle a bit further away from the house surrounded by a dense forest. We weren't allowed to go there but I remember we would sneak through the hole in the fence next to the house and walk all the way up to the castle to peek through the windows to see the large rooms and beautiful Baroque furniture, ornaments and sculptures.
I remember that back then the baroness was negotiating about selling part of her land: the Disney people had offered her money to build EuroDisney there but in the end she refused. I'm glad she did, it would've been such a waste of beautiful nature... We would've breakfast and dinner outside in the garden at an eight metre long table made out of trestles covered with planks. I always checked underneath for spiders before pulling up the chair, there would be millions of them hiding there in the morning when the grass was still wet with dew.
Since I was the one with the best results in French at school I had to do the talking with the French people all the time and it was my task to go to the boulangerie each morning to buy fresh baked bread, a nice pain de campagne or baguette. Crispy bread with a thin layer of salted butter [margarine is a total no-go to me!] still has an affect on me. Another thing that still has an affect on me is the French UHT milk: nothing will change the disgusting flavour of UHT milk when you're used to drinking the pasteurized version... *yuk!*
Often in the evening I would wait till it was dark enough to go for a walk through the fields to look for fireflies. Fields with grass growing so high it would tickle your armpits. I could spend hour after hour, looking for the tiny greenish lights hiding in the high grass. I was and still am intrigued by them, wondering how it is possible that they have a light like that [of course I know now *hehe*]. Most of the ones I would find would still be in the larval phase. At times I would collect them in a jar and bring them back to show to my parents.
Fireflies have something wonderfully mysterious and magical about them, like tiny guides in the dark, showing you the way home. It's been ages since I saw one, perhaps it's time to start looking again...
In East Asia, the ancient Chinese sometimes captured fireflies in transparent or semi-transparent containers and used them as (short-term) lanterns.
In Philippine folklore, a tree surrounded by fireflies is believed to be haunted by a tikbalang, the local term for a mischievous satyr.
In Japan, Hotaru have been a metaphor for passionate love in poetry since Man'you-shu (the 8th century anthology). Their eerie lights are also thought to be the altered form of the souls of soldiers who have died in war.
The Nimitas is the name given to the fireflies in the Dominican Republic. Superstition says that the Nimitas are the soul of the dead who are watching out for their loved ones still living. They are always watching over and shining a light for all to know they are here.
Wonderful post Tess! Beautifully written and the picture evoces...magic! :)
The same word came to mind when I read your childhood experiences in France...the castle, the baroness, the baguette, Paris... :) Pure magic!
I wish you a wonderful weekend and who knows? Maybe you will see a firefly one of these days :) right? One can never stop looking for them! :)
A big hug,
Oh god, this sounds like a fairytale, your childhood must have been dreamy... I'm jealous :)
Wen: thanks Wen :) I took that picture in Scotland while visiting my friend. There are many many magical spots to be found in Scotland, this was one of them, I found it whilst hiking near Loch Lomond. France: it was the most beautiful place... I have wonderful memories of France and Paris, I could write books ;) Weird stuff too. I hope to see one but I'm afraid there aren't many in the UK, too cold? Hug back at ya!
Bitter Chocolate: *LOL* only that part of my childhood was dreamy, everything else was extremely realistic... *hehe* But yes, I tend to be a realistic dreamer :) It's just that I have fond memories of this place and all my weird adventures there, yes almost like a fairytale. I love nature and that area was one big green feast to the eye. A place to roam and wander and let fantasy take over, like Wen said: magical! :)
I was captured reading this, and I could almost close my eyes and imagine it as it would have been even though I am not really used to forests and trees. Great piece of information, it would be nice to capture one in a photograph :-)
Thank you Reuben :)
It's nice how you unknowingly point out things to me that I just don't think of; like how you're not really used to forests/trees. It never crossed my mind but the moment you mentioned it I became aware of the fact... (thanks for that!)
I'm sure you would love Scotland then :) It's always damp, lots of green and mossy places, extremely magical. Same goes for Ireland but that's still on my wish-list for countries to visit one day :)
Oh I would love to capture one but I'm sure they aren't here, I think they prefer warmer countries but my friend Ismoyo told me they even live in NY city... I'm confused about this and would like to read more into it :)
Yeah someday I will make that dream trip to the upper parts of England, Scotland and the rest, I am pretty sure there will be no resting days for my EOS there :-)
That is very interesting that these little lighthouses actually exist in NY, It is incredible how nature adapts to mankind's continuous misuse of earth.
Sorry I don't have time to write more at the moment....
But for now, beautiful!!!!
Reuben: Poor EOS *hehe* I meant to ask you several times but keep forgetting: did you and Fenneke ever work out a deal? I found an article online about fireflies: 'Researchers in Europe and the US believe urban sprawl and industrial pollution have destroyed the habitat of fireflies or glow worms. The spread of artificial lights may also be a factor, disrupting mating behaviour. ' :(
No wonder... such a shame!
Jim: Thank you :)
You should rest! I will tell you all my adventures over time, you know I will. And perhaps take the car one day, show you around and see if they're still there if you feel like it... we could create a quest :) So many already *hehe*
Yeah I had passed over some of my shots to Fenneke but it seems that we are on a different frequency. It was a good try though and glad that I tried it out. I thank you for your suggestion and passing over that info. I am now working on a calendar though with thoughts and some nice images that I have captured through each month.
I think its gonna be good :-) It has been my wish for so long. This is my share of giving something back to Gaia.
I'm more then ready for a serious Quest :-)
I should amend.... a Quest with ZEST ;-)
Jim: Zest it will be and wonderful to know that you're ready, so am I! ;)
Sorry... commenting form will automatically disappear once certain posts have been open for a certain period of time, this to prevent spam... So I didn't close, the janitor did ;)
I'm ok with about six a day but can't change this otherwise I'll get more in to trash or moderate. I'm sure you'll understand ;)