Author Topic: Did you ever notice...  (Read 10996 times)

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Offline vinemaplebows

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Re: Did you ever notice...
« Reply #30 on: November 29, 2013, 01:39:14 am »
Yep! :)
Debating is an intellectual exchange of differing views...with no winners.

Offline PatM

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Re: Did you ever notice...
« Reply #31 on: November 29, 2013, 02:34:18 am »
Every tree is likely medicinal to some degree.
 The interesting thing about Osage is that it appears to have actually been fading away before its revival as a hedgerow tree.
 The theory is that its seeds are ideally dispersed by being eaten by a large herbivore, which went extinct. Either the Giant Ground sloth or the Mammoth/Mastodon. Perhaps the thorns are to minimize the chances of being pushed over by a huge animal.

Offline George Tsoukalas

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Re: Did you ever notice...
« Reply #32 on: November 29, 2013, 07:47:01 am »
I can picture this conversation happening a few 1000 years ago as the ancients gathered around the campfire to discuss their day.

"So, Harry, whaddjya do today?"

"Well, I was cutting some birch for bow wood when I got a really bad headache."

"Did you stop?"

"No, the darndest thing started happening. I just grabbed some bark and started chewing it and my headache went away!"

"No way!"

"Ya way!"

Jawge
Set Happens!
If you ain't breakin' you ain't makin!

Offline Slackbunny

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Re: Did you ever notice...
« Reply #33 on: November 29, 2013, 08:07:31 am »
Every tree is likely medicinal to some degree.
 The interesting thing about Osage is that it appears to have actually been fading away before its revival as a hedgerow tree.
 The theory is that its seeds are ideally dispersed by being eaten by a large herbivore, which went extinct. Either the Giant Ground sloth or the Mammoth/Mastodon. Perhaps the thorns are to minimize the chances of being pushed over by a huge animal.

I'm guessing cattle became the new large herbivores.

Offline lenador

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Re: Did you ever notice...
« Reply #34 on: November 29, 2013, 08:44:03 am »
The way I see it is this... We try to answer age old questions with new thinking because that's how we were taught. These ends up leading to dead ends and or arguments. Things back then were being freshly answered by simple experience. They didn't sit around and debate what meant what and why. They knew that such and such wood was great for bows and if they were sacrificing that tree they better find plenty of use for it. They did find these uses and they explained it in their own way with spirits and such. The world takes on the image of what we imagine.

This probably doesn't make as much sense as I hoped it would but oh well.

Failure isn't a loss unless you cease to move forward from it.

Offline SLIMBOB

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Re: Did you ever notice...
« Reply #35 on: November 29, 2013, 11:34:08 am »
I think PatM nailed it.  Seems many plants have some type of medicinal quality of some type.  We simply conjure up the image of something mystical about certain plants we find interesting in some way.  Ancient practice for sure.  I know that's not as sexy or as interesting, but there are plain ole ordinary looking plants with special qualities as well.  I find wonder in all of it, the bizarre and the mundane. 
Liberty, In God We Trust, E Pluribus Unum.  Distinctly American Values.

Offline PatM

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Re: Did you ever notice...
« Reply #36 on: November 29, 2013, 12:29:21 pm »

I'm guessing cattle became the new large herbivores.
Hard to say what is actually still eating them. Some claim horses will if given the chance and the rapid spread of Osage after horses were re-introduced may have something to do with that but one definite reason is that people nurtured the species by helping it establish itself as a fencerow tree.
 It's kind of interesting that the Indians didn't seem to try planting it in areas well outside where they had to travel to get it since it will grow over a huge range if allowed.
 The practice of planting stuff  where it is needed was well known for trees with other uses.
 The most remarkable example I have seen is a park comprised of pure Hackberry in Carleton Place, Ontario.  Hackberry is probably nearly unheard of in Ontario except in the extreme southwest. Carleton Place is considerably off that area.
 The theory is that the trees were established by Indians portaging at that point on the river as a source of anti-inflammatories.
« Last Edit: November 29, 2013, 12:35:35 pm by PatM »

Offline Onebowonder

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Re: Did you ever notice...
« Reply #37 on: November 29, 2013, 02:33:36 pm »
<snip>
This probably doesn't make as much sense as I hoped it would but oh well.

If I had a nickel for everytime I said that after writing something I had intended to be clever, ...well I'd have a whole bunch of nickels!

OneBow

Offline Wylden Freeborne

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Re: Did you ever notice...
« Reply #38 on: December 04, 2013, 03:13:29 pm »
The way I see it is this... We try to answer age old questions with new thinking because that's how we were taught. These ends up leading to dead ends and or arguments. Things back then were being freshly answered by simple experience. They didn't sit around and debate what meant what and why. They knew that such and such wood was great for bows and if they were sacrificing that tree they better find plenty of use for it. They did find these uses and they explained it in their own way with spirits and such. The world takes on the image of what we imagine.

This probably doesn't make as much sense as I hoped it would but oh well.

Makes wonderful sense! That said, the mystic is fun and an interesting way to distinguish cultures amidst a starbucks world.
"The end of the human race will be that it will eventually die of civilization." Emerson

Offline Gus

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Re: Did you ever notice...
« Reply #39 on: December 04, 2013, 05:11:09 pm »
<snip>
This probably doesn't make as much sense as I hoped it would but oh well.

If I had a nickel for everytime I said that after writing something I had intended to be clever, ...well I'd have a whole bunch of nickels!

OneBow



+1

Can't tell y'all how many Witty Retorts or seemingly Sage Advice I have written in the Heat of The Moment... Then upon review decided it sounded all wrong and deleted it or at least rewritten it completely.

In Life, not just on PA.
There was a time when I'd press the Send Button before I could change my mind.
Perhaps this is Wisedom rearing it's grizzled head...

:)

-gus
"I taught him archery everyday, and when he got good at it he throw an arrow at me."

Conroe, TX