Wood carvings

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

During my travels, I have often encountered wood carvings of various types. A selection is shown below, arranged country-wise.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In Europe, the populations of this species have been drastically reduced by Dutch elm disease, caused by sac fungi of the genus Ophiostoma (formerly called Ceratocystis). These fungi are natives of Asia, where local elm species are resistant to the disease. However, this is not the case in Europe and North America, where the disease is epidemic. Dutch elm disease is dealt with in detail on the page Nature Reserve Vorsø: Dutch elm disease on Vorsø.

In several European countries, artists have carved images into many of the dead elm trees.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Slattenpatten steals from people at night, but if you mark bread and other pastry with a cross, she is unable to take it. If you are followed by her, you may escape by running across the furrows of a ploughed field, if it has been ploughed with a steel plough, because she cannot stand steel. You may also escape by jumping across a stream, as she doesn’t like running water either. (Source: Evald Tang Kristensen 1893. Danske Sagn, som de har lydt i Folkemunde, Vol. 2)

 

 

 

 

 

The wood carving below, observed in Højerup Church, Stevns Klint, Zealand, is probably influenced by Chinese mythology, as it depicts two creatures, which resemble a mixture of dragon and feng-huang.

These creatures are described in detail on the page Religion: Daoism in Taiwan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For many years, the Tasmanian spotted owl (Ninox novaeseelandiae), also called morepork or ruru, was regarded as the same species as the Australian boobook (Ninox boobook). However, in 1999, it was decided that Tasmanian and New Zealand populations differed significantly from the mainland populations to form a separate species. Ongoing genetic research of this genus may result in the separation of the Tasmanian and New Zealand populations into two separate species.

The Tasmanian spotted owl was mentioned by English physician and naturalist John Latham (1740-1837) in his work A General Synopsis of Birds (1781-1801), but he did not include a binomial name. It was formally described in 1788 by German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin (1748-1804).

The names morepork and ruru are onomatopoeic, emulating the distinctive two-pitched call of this owl.

 

 

 

 

 

Fantails are widely distributed, from the Indian Subcontinent eastwards to southern China, the Philippines, and western Polynesia, and southwards through Southeast Asia and Indonesia to Australia and New Zealand.

As its name implies, the New Zealand fantail (Rhipidura fuliginosa) is restricted to New Zealand, where it is common in many places. This species is very confiding and will often flit about in front of your face, catching insects. It is very variable, being mainly grey, white, and pale brown, and it also occurs in a dark morph, which is sometimes called black fantail.

In the Maori language, the New Zealand fantail is known as piwakawaka. It is a messenger, bringing death or news of death from the gods to the people. Its bulbous eyes and erratic flying behaviour is attributed to it being squeezed by the hero Maui, because it would not reveal the whereabouts of his ancestress Mahuika, the fire deity.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Budai is usually regarded as an incarnation of Maitreya, the ‘Future Buddha’, who, it is said, will return to Earth in due time to save humanity. The word budai means ‘a sack made of cloth’. This name has been applied to him, as he is usually seen carrying a sack over his shoulder. When asked why he is carrying this sack, he will just throw it to the ground, smiling, indicating that you should let go of all desires – the final goal of all Buddhists.

 

 

 

 

 

Regardless of Damo’s warning, Song Yun told the emperor that he had met him, to which the emperor replied that he was already dead and buried, whereupon he let Song Yun arrest for lying. When they arrived at the Shaolin Monastery, the monks informed them that Damo had been buried in a hill behind the temple. When the grave was opened, the coffin only contained a single sandal. The monks exclaimed, “Master has gone back home,” whereupon they prostrated three times.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The American great horned owl (Bubo virginianus) is a large owl with an enormous distribution, found from Alaska and northern Canada southwards through the entire United States to southern Mexico and Guatemala, and also in two separate areas of South America, from Columbia eastwards to north-eastern Brazil, and south of the Amazon Basin, from eastern Peru eastwards to the Atlantic Ocean, and thence southwards to north-eastern Argentina.

Another American bird, the great blue heron (Ardea herodias), is also widely distributed, from Alaska southwards to the extreme north-western South America.