JIM NOLLMAN: The Charged Border - Communications with Whales!

 
Country Performance Hall Date Time
Finland Vantaa/Heureka
Science Center
Saturday
22nd January, 2000
at 13.00
Estonia Tallinn/Kiek in de Kök
Ocean Museum
Sunday
23rd January, 2000
at 15.00

Human - animal relationship is a complicated phenomena. Adam of Bremen, the bishop of Germany, Scandinavia and Finis (the utter End) of the known world at that time (Finns, Finland) wrote a chronicle 1074 AD. In his chronicle there is a chapter describing a communication between "great whales", "grandia cete maris" and aboriginal Finns or Sami-people. Obviously aboriginals communicated with whales using throat singing type of sounds "potenti murmure verborum".
[English verb murmur, German verb brummeln, both verbs are as close as possible with the concept of throat or Tuva singing].

Jim Nollman's presentation tries to reach and go beyond this "Magical Charged Border" between human and animals. He will guide us through the pathless wilderness of a communication space using Adam of Bremen as a key in this labyrinth.


References:
Here follows the whole quotation, originally observed by Dr. Ole Lindquist

Book 4, ch 32, of Adam of Bremen's 'Gesta Hammaburgensis ecclesiae pontificum' (from ca 1074/75 AD):

[Latin original:]
   "Omnes vero sunt christianissimi, qui in Norvegia degunt,
   exceptis illis, qui trans arctoam plagam circa occeanum
   remoti sunt.  Eos adhuc ferunt magicis artibus sive
   incantationibus in tantum prevalere, ut se scire
   fateantur, quid a singulis in toto orbe geratur; tunc
   etiam  potenti murmure verborum grandia cete maris in
   littora trahunt, et alia multa, quae de maleficis in
   Scriptura legentur, omnia [265/266] illis ex usu facilia
   sunt.  In asperrimis, quae ibi sunt, ...".

[Finnish translation by Vesa Oittinen:]
   "Kaikki Norjan asujaimet ovat kristittyjä, lukuunottamatta niitä jotka
   asuvat kaukana napapiirin takana Valtamerten rannalla. Heitä mainitaan
   vielä siinä määrin taikakeinojen ja loitsujen  taitajiksi, että he
   kertovat tietävänsä, mitä itse kukin tekee missä tahansa päin
   maailmaa. Lisäksi he houkuttelevat voimallisia sanoja mutisemalla
   suuria meren valaita rantaan, ja monet muutkin niistä asioista mitä
   Raamattu kertoo noidista, ovat heille kokemuksesta tuttuja. Siellä
   olevissa mitä kolkoimmissa..."


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