Celebrating the 4th of July in Munising

Waking from a deep, restful slumber,

bogs of fog wove through the mist.

Bugs swatted, leaving behind slimy matter.

Smell of bacon wafted from the campsites.

Children laughing, playing with toys,

riding bicycles and pulling wagons .

Trailers pulled by diesel engines.

Clowns telling jokes, freely bantering.

Skin tan from the summer sun.

Assemble to watch war heroes marching.

School bands playing loudly for their audience,

ignoring the sweat gathering on their brows.

Stoic statues stand picturesque in the park.

Masses file through crowded streets,

to go to summer parties, paid by the reap

of this year’s earnings.

Is it sane to bane, what a sham, or is it?

A row of vendors selling their wares,

musicians citing words from favored songs.

Uncle Don’s delicious homemade pies.

Aunt Donna said it’s time to grill,

Potato salad, beans, bratwurst, and hot dogs.

Cousins pat and form the burgers.

Corn on the cob, wrapped in foil.

Feeling like fatted hogs, eating heartily.

Sitting around with family, memories cherished.

Find the core, turn the page, dear ones caring.

Laid on the grassy knoll, staring upward intently.

Brightly colored fireworks, smoke lingers.

It’s time to quit and call it a day.

Before retiring, enjoyed Diary Queen treats.

Another 4^th of July celebrated in the beautiful

town of Munising.

Ancient Egyptian Gods and Goddesses

No ancient civilization has received more notoriety than Egypt with its massive mysterious pyramids, magical religious practices and mystical rulers such as Cleopatra and Khufu. Khufu constructed the Giza pyramid, one of the first pyramids built from cut stone.  Osiris was worshipped as a deity by the Egyptians. After his untimely death at the hands of Seth, he watched over the realm of the dead. Demons stood guard at the entrance. Isis, Osiris’ wife, used her powers to raise the dead. Egypt, a highly advanced civilization, was seemingly created overnight along with progressive levels of art, agriculture, astronomy, and physics. Who was responsible for these highly developed creations such as the pyramids? The ancient Egyptians recorded that their civilization existed in the shadow of a kingdom of gods. Were these highly intelligent supernatural individuals Lucifer and the fallen angels or were they aliens such as the Annunaki from another planet or universe?

            Edward F. Malkowski author of Ancient Egypt 39,000 BCE: The History, Technology, and Philosophy of Civilization X referred to the possible superior beings as Civilization X who could quarry, move, cut and shape granite, the hardest, most durable of stones, into blocks. They were craftsmen with the ability to use their materials. The elaborate paintings and carvings in the granite impressed many for thousands of years. Highly technologically advanced beings built the Great pyramid, the first pyramid in Giza.

            The pyramid was constructed to navigate water from one place to another by a pulse generator. Granite, which was an excellent conductor of sound, was used to possibly communicate with beings from other planets. The large pyramid consisted of 2.5 million massive blocks, each weighing from ten to fifty tons.

            The pyramid at Abu Rawash was unfinished which gave many people who explored the ruins a better understanding of the building of the pyramids. Evidence existed that the saw blade had to have a diameter of 35.9 feet and an angle of 46.5 degrees to produce the cut that was made on a granite slab (Malkowski, 2010). Which brings up the question about what source of power existed to run these massive power tools? What types of superior beings and higher civilizations lived during the period of Ancient Egypt? The inhabitants worshipped many gods and some of the rulers were referred to as gods.

            In Egypt the gods were called “Neteru” meaning “guardians” or “watchers.” This designation was associated with beings of a higher civilization. These individuals were known to have created humans and have called themselves our creators. Tablets such as the cuneiform tablets from Sumer and the Bible have told the story of the creation of humans.  The Annunaki had a traditional headdress, symbol of the royal line of Anu when they resided on Nibiru (their home planet). The headdress had two horns of a bull or that of a cow. Ninmah (god on Nibiru) was identified as the goddess Hathor in Egypt, who symbolized the sacred cow. As mentioned later, the symbol of the cow represented life-giver, great mother, nourishing and protecting life. Hathor, Osiris, Isis and Horus to name a few filled the role of providing protection for humans and other gods (pharaohs, queens and other gods). To protect others they needed to serve the role as watchers and guardians.

            The Ancient Egyptian realm has served as a home to towns with large populations, magnificent temples, and people who worshipped differently and carried out their everyday lives in a manner that was contrary to other countries. The priests’ heads were shaven and in other countries the priests had long hair. The women went to the markets to participate in trade while the men stayed home and tended to the loom. The Egyptians abandoned their nomadic lifestyle and turned to agricultural pursuits and domesticated animals such as cats, goats, sheep, cattle and pigs. They grew wheat and barley. They were known to be the first to create pottery, bricks, cosmetic palettes and war maces.

            The Nile afforded the Egyptians many gifts. It supplied fish, waterfowl, papyrus for writing, reeds and grass for baskets and matting, mud for pottery and bricks and was served as a main source of travel. Papyrus and lotus were two plants that represented Ancient Egypt and these plants were used to make baskets, boats, furniture and mats. Palm trees produced dates and dom palms which provided a hard nut including a gingery flavored delicious fruit. The Egyptians lived in fear of scorpions, lions and crocodiles. They also had animals living with them as valued pets while other countries did not do so.

            Cats were highly honored. Bastet was the Cat Goddess. Cats were mummified and delivered to her during ceremonies and the festival dedicated to this goddess was one of the most important concerning the Egyptian calendar. Egyptian farmers domesticated the native African wild cat (Felis sylvestris libyca) long before historical documentation. Cats’ remains were placed in tombs of honored people. The cat was referred to as “miw” after the sound cats made. At first they kept rats and mice out of the grain stores but soon they were treated as honored domestic pets in the homes of the Egyptians. The inhabitants of Egypt sought the help of Bastet to protect their homes and their occupants. She was granted cat figurines and mummified cats to show appreciation for her services.

            Egypt is located in the north-eastern corner of Africa and shares a border with the Sahara desert. Rainfall has been practically non-existent. The Nile is the only saving grace in this dry land which has provided water and fertile soil. The Nile floods once a year and the land is made more habitable with its silt and nutrients enhancing to the soil.

            The following legend portrays how Horus avenged his father’s death and how he became the ruler of Egypt.

           

                The Egyptian Myth of Creation from Atum, the sky god, and Nut, the earth goddess came four children: Osiris, Isis, Seth and Nepthys. Osiris was the oldest and so became king of Egypt, and he married his sister Isis. Osiris was a good king and commanded the respect of all who lived on the earth and the gods who dwelled in the netherworld. However, Seth was always jealous of Osiris, because he did not command the respect of those on earth or those in the netherworld. One day, Seth transformed himself into a vicious monster and attacked Osiris, killing him. Seth then cut Osiris into pieces and distributed them throughout the length and breadth of Egypt. With Osiris dead, Seth became king of Egypt, with his sister Nepthys as his wife. Nepthys, however, felt sorry for her sister Isis, who wept endlessly over her lost husband.

            Seven scorpions escorted Isis during her flight in search of her husband. She was weary and wanted to rest one evening and stopped at the home of a peasant woman and her children. The woman did not want to let Isis into her home. One of the scorpions, Tefen, decided to slip under the door and he stung one of the woman’s children. Isis heard the woman crying over the loss of her child so she forgave the woman for turning her away. Isis entered the home and laid a hand on the child and gave him a new life.

            Isis, who had great magical powers, continued to look for her husband so she could  bring him back to life long enough so that they could have a child. Together with Nepthys, Isis roamed the country, collecting the pieces of her husband’s body and reassembling them. Once she completed this task, she breathed the breath of life into his body and resurrected him. They were together again, and Isis became pregnant soon after. Osiris was able to descend into the underworld, where he became the lord of that domain.

            The child born to Isis was named Horus, the hawk-god. When he became an adult, Horus decided to make a case before the court of gods that he, not Seth, was the rightful king of Egypt. A long period of argument followed, and Seth challenged Horus to a contest. The winner would become king. Seth, however, did not play fair. After several matches in which Seth cheated and was the victor, Horus’ mother, Isis, decided to help her son set a trap for Seth. She snared him, but Seth begged for his life, and Isis let him go. When he found out that she had let his enemy live, Horus became angry with his mother, and rages against her, earning him the contempt of the other gods.

            They decided that there would be one more match, and Seth would get to choose what it would be. Seth decided that the final round of the contest would be a boat race. However, in order to make the contest a challenge, Seth decided that he and Horus should race boats made of stone. Horus was tricky and built a boat made of wood, covered with limestone plaster, which looked like stone. As the gods assembled for the race, Seth cut the top off of a mountain to serve as his boat and set it in the water. His boat sank right away, and all the other gods laughed at him.

            Angry, Seth transformed himself into a hippopotamus and attacked Horus’ boat. Horus fought off Seth, but the other gods stopped him before he could kill Seth. The officiating gods decided that the match was a tie. Many of the gods were sympathetic to Horus, but remembered his anger toward his mother for being lenient to Seth, and were unwilling to support him completely. The gods who formed the court decided to write a letter to Osiris and ask for his advice. Osiris responded with a definite answer: his son is the rightful king, and should be placed upon the throne. No one, said Osiris, should take the throne of Egypt through an act of murder, as Seth had done. Seth had killed Osiris, but Horus did not kill anyone, and was the better candidate. The sun and the stars, who were Osiris’ allies, descended into the underworld, leaving the world in darkness.

            Finally, the gods agreed that Horus should claim his birthright as king of Egypt. Light was returned to Earth. He assumed the Atef crown and took over the thrown of his father, Osiris. Horus was known as the “King of men” and his father was granted the kingdom of the dead and known as the “King of eternity.” The family has died. Osiris died in truth and serve as a star in the sky. Isis was the dog-star. Horus was Orion (Tirard, 1971).

            Many creation stories consist of a man and woman created by a higher being, usually a god. Osiris and Isis were created and procreated with one another and Horus was born, who was also a god. Seth the evil brother was married to his sister Nephthys. Osiris and Seth were brothers like Cain and Abel. One was good and one was evil.

            Some historians believe that Osiris may have been a living mortal who served as a ruler. He was a shepherd who lived before the dynastic time period between 5500 and 3100 BC in the Nile Delta. He served as a good and fair ruler so his followers referred to him as a god which was similar to how Jesus was revered. The pharaoh was considered the son of the sun god Ra. After Osiris died he ascended into the heavens to join Ra in the sky.

            Isis was referred to as the “Universal Mother” to the Egyptian people. The goddess served as a representation of the devoted wife and mother. She not only used her powers to restore life, she also helped mothers and children in many ways. Her magical powers permitted her to conceive a child with her dead husband so that was why she was considered the protector of children and nursing mothers.

            Seth may have had a dark side but he was also known for his association with the thunder god, Baal. Many rulers took his name associating themselves with his strength. Seth served alongside Ra the sun god when he was on his journey through the night. He defended Ra from the serpent Apophis. Seth represented the balance in the universe concerning the concept of duality. Seth would appear as a hippopotamus on occasion. The hippopotamus was regarded as a symbol of disorder and positive feminine morality.

            Nephthys, Seth’s wife and sister, was considered a protective goddess. She was seen with her sister Isis more than with her spouse Seth. She helped find the pieces of Osiris body and helped put him back together with her sister.

            Hathor was the goddess of love and considered one of the most important deities during the ancient Egyptian period. She was associated with joy, music and love and was the divine mother of each king. She was also the daughter of Ra and had a dark side, appeared in a lioness form as the aggressive goddess Sekhmet. Hathor was represented as a cow, symbol of motherhood, fertility and protection. Known as the “lady of the western mountain,” she was responsible for receiving the setting sun each evening and keeping it safe until morning. The goddess protected the deceased in the afterlife. Rameses II )1279-1213 BC) had a rock-cut temple for his wife, Nefertari. Part of the constructed temple includes the queen who appears as Hathor, near the entrance of the temple. It was believed that the likeness of Hathor protected Rameses II.

            An elaborate tomb was erected for Nefertari and other queens and princes which was referred to as the valley of queens. It was built on the scale of a pharoah’s tomb and was decorated with paintings. The tomb consisted of various chambers, stairs with various levels, a multitude of chambers and four large pillars. A painting of a deceased queen who was led to the afterlife by Isis was on one of the walls. There is a painting in the vestibule of a queen being greeted by Neith before being led by the falcon-headed Horus towards Ra, the sun god. It was believed that with Osiris guarding the land of dead, the deceased would be reborn as Osiris was after Seth murdered him. Ra and the other gods would help make this happen. Egyptians upheld many beliefs about specific deities.

            Alexander the Great was born in 356 BC and was the son of Philip II, King of Macedonia. Philip possessed a strong desire to make his kingdom larger so he undertook a series of conquests. In 338 BC he conquered the Athenians which aided in his dominance of Greece. He trained his son, Alexander, in the art of warfare and involved him in his campaigns. The philosopher, Aristotle, provided Alexander an education that consisted of what would make the ideal city, science, politics and ethics. When Alexander turned 20, his father was assassinated and Alexander inherited the throne and the acquired ambitions of his father.

            He became the head of the Hellenic Confederation and he was more than ready to take on the Persians and stop them in their tracks. Known later as Alexander the Great, he was revered as a savior of the Egyptian people because he drove the Persians out of Egypt. As a result of the conquest, he was revered as a pharaoh. Egypt was not the only territory taken from the Persians, before his death he managed to amass an empire that expanded from the Mediterranean to the river Indus. While he stayed in Egypt for only a short period of time, he changed the taxation system and organized military occupation of Egypt. He restored some of the temples in Egypt and built a chapel for a sacred barge. The Egyptian people did not have a problem with crowning him in the temple of Ptah in Memphis even though he was a foreigner and absent for the majority of his reign on campaigns.

            Cleopatra VII Philopator, ruler of Egypt from 51 to 30 BC, took over the throne after her father’s death, Ptolemy XII Neos Dionysos. She served as a co-ruler with her father when she turned 18. Her father required that she marry and turn over part of the rule to her oldest brother, Ptolemy XIII. He was only ten at the time of her father’s death. Cleopatra was one of the most well-known Egyptians. She committed suicide in 30 BC which ended the last period of the Ancient Eygptian era. Cleopatra was clever and known for her outstanding political abilities. Her desire to keep Egypt independent from other countries, led her down a path of dominance over Egypt. Ptolemy XIII did manage to kick Cleopatra from the throne in 48C for a short amount of time.

            Rome was also in disarray. Pompey, Julius Ceasar and Crassus, the triad of rulers in Rome, were at war with one another. Caesar, the winner of the war at Pharsalus, sent Pompey to his knees. Pompey fled to Egypt, and soon after his arrival, he was assassinated by Ptolemy XIII, hoping to gain Caesar’s support. Caesar pursued Pompey. Cleopatra used this as an opportunity to charm Caesar. Caesar remained in Egypt for several months and as a result Ptolemy XIII was defeated in a civil war.

            Cleopatra was returned to the throne in 47 BC. A child was conceived as a product of their union. It was the desire of Caesar and Cleopatra to join Rome and Egypt to create a new empire. Caesar convinced Cleopatra to marry him before he left for Asia Minor. He suggested that Ptolemy XIV serve as a co-regent while he was away. However, Cleopatra followed Caesar to Rome in 46 BC. Caesar was assassinated in 44 BC. Cleopatra returned to Egypt and ordered the killing of her brother Ptolemy XIV. Following she regained the throne and assigned Caesar’s son as the co-regent on the throne.

            Mark Antony requested to meet with Cleopatra. He was the ruler of the eastern part of the Roman Empire, and Octavian was the ruler of the western portion of the empire. They met at Tarsus. She was laden with gifts to gain the favor of Mark Antony. Captivated by Cleopatra’s charm, he followed her to Alexandria. Octavian, furious with Antony, cooled his temper when Antony married his sister Octavia. The tension between Antony and Octavian increased and Antony believed the strife was not going to be resolved. He sought funding from Cleopatra to go to war against the Persians. The campaign was not successful.

            He married Cleopatra and twins were conceived through the union. Antony granted Cleopatra and her children parts of the eastern Roman Empire. Octavian, upset about the perceived treachery against Rome, launched a campaign against Antony. Octavian defeated Antony in a sea battle off the coast of northern Greece in 31 BC. Mark Antony committed suicide a year later.

            Cleopatra did not want to succumb to Octavian’s rule so she killed herself by the venomous bite of a cobra which symbolized the goddess Wadjyt, protector of the pharaohs. She was the last of Pharaohs (Strudwick, 2017).

            The peasants also worshipped what were considered the lesser deities. These gods did not have temples or monuments dedicated to them like Horus, Ra, Osiris and Isis. The commoners celebrated the public festivals and prayed at shrines. The lesser deities were represented in domestic settings as part of the design of furniture, usually beds, musical instruments, pottery and other vessels. The minor deities were also represented in amulets. These deities served in a protective role, and were associated with fertility and childbirth. Taweret was one of the popular deities used for protection of women during childbirth. The goddess took the form of a hippopotamus, with arms and legs of a lion and a tail of a crocodile. The full belly represented pregnancy.

            The goddess of writing and measurement, Seshat, was a woman in a long panther-skin dress and wearing a star and a bow on her head. She recorded the spoils of war. Sokar, the falcon god, served as a guide of craftsmen and was also referred to as a fertility god. The goddess Serket, along with the Goddesses Isis, Nephtyhy and Neith, protected the Canopic jars which contained the organs of the deceased. She was portrayed as a woman with a rearing scorpion on her head and/or with a scorpion’s tail. Magic embodied in the form of the god Heka, served as an important part of everyday life in Ancient Egypt which was derived by the use of rituals or spells. Magic was used to solve problems and crises, such as illness and to keep away snakes and crocodiles. The mysterious structures such as “The Sphinx,” massive obelisks, temples and pyramids were believed to provide protection for the rulers and inhabitants.

            In order to determine if a society was more civilized and advanced, the society was accredited with developing a written language. The Ancient Egyptians developed their own alphabet and hieroglyphs. One of the most important roles during the ancient times was the role of the scribe. There were a number of government offices that managed the affairs of Egypt. The governmental officials had to manage the labor force, food supply, building projects, finances, legal matters and scribal administration. Many of the wealthy ordered funerary monuments built for them and records were kept for the responsible peasants placed in charge of the monuments construction.

Twenty-four letters along with pictures created for their language, depicted an elaborate writing system. The letter “a” resembled the number 3. They either wrote in symbols or letters. Their writing system evolved from the hieratic to a more easily read style referred to as demotic which resembled our cursive writing around 650 BC. Another form of writing referred to as Coptic script established in Egypt at the end of the Roman period between the end of the Roman period and the Arab conquest from 395 and 641. This alphabet included pictures and letters. The writing appeared everywhere such as temples, obelisks, parchment, monuments, various locations in and on pyramids.

The massive elaborate structures such as “The Sphinx,” pyramids, sitting and standing statues and obelisks were scattered all over Egypt and come to the wonder of many throughout history. The Egyptian sphinx was depicted as benevolent. However, the Greek sphinx appeared as fearsome and mean. The form of many of the sphinx varied. Some had a human head with an animal body, some with a body of man or woman with an animal head, some had a animal body and animal head. The sphinx, built in honor of a pharaoh, represented the earthly reincarnation of the god Atum. The pharaohs, believed to be reincarnated gods, were honored with magnificent structures. At Karnak, the sphinx has a lion’s body and ram’s head which was associated with the temple deity, Atum. Atum was often represented with a ram’s head. Different communities would honor specific gods that were known in their Egyptian community.

            Atum was one of the most influential and powerful gods in ancient Egypt. He was known as the father of Isis, Seth, Osiris and Nephthys. Called the ‘king of the gods,’ he was a prominent deity during the history of ancient Egypt. Atum combined his powers with the Sun God Ra which made him even more powerful. The various Egyptian municipalities celebrated a variety of minor gods.  The glory gods who everyone worshipped were Atum, Shu, Tefnut, Nut, Geb, Osiris, Set and Nephthys. The big dipper represented the nine gods, seven stars were visible with two hidden stars.

            The Ancient Egyptian culture expanded their areas of expertise and knowledge in various areas such as mathematics, geometry, and physics. A number of papyri include the mathematicians’ ability to problem solve and have consisted of a complicated method for calculating the construction of specific portions of a pyramid. They needed to make determinations on how to transport large quantities of stone for building projects. The Egyptians relied heavily on agriculture. They had to predict the annual flooding of the Nile to optimize the irrigation and fertilization of the land used for agriculture.

They invented an elaborate system to manage the flooding of the Nile called the nilometer. This ingenious invention assisted them with the measuring and predicting of the annual flood with the use of wells, buildings in which the wells were sunk, stairways which allowed them to gain access to the wells, and a graduated scale to conduct the measurements. The nilometers allowed the Egyptians to take advantage of an early warning system enhanced by the setting up of a network of dykes and channels. The nilometer was either fed by ground water or directly from the Nile.

The calendar system they created also gave them the ability to predict the flooding of the Nile. They used astronomy to determine the seasons and the orientation of the monuments and the timing of religious festivals. Egyptians have always been interested in the night sky. They attributed their many gods to the star formations. As mentioned earlier, the big dipper represented the most prominent gods. The roof of Hathor’s temple in Dendera was covered in an astronomical theme with constellations, planets and two eclipses.

Mathematics was another area they excelled at. They created an ancient measuring rod. They used signs to denote the numbers: 1  10   100   1000   10,000   100,000 and 1,000,000. The symbol for one million could represent any very large number.  Ancient papyrus scrolls, two wooden tablets and a leather scroll depict four basics of calculation: addition, subtraction, multiplications and division. Their architects were able to calculate volume, angles, and cylinders for the building projects. Their ability to calculate and solve problems using geometry was revealed in their calculations of area and volume. Knotted measuring rope was used to calculate the area of a farmer’s field to determine the amount of crop that would be produced. Wheat was the main crop. Estimating the amount of yield helped the administrators calculate the amount of duty to be raised. Physics came into play when they needed to develop techniques for lifting and carrying.

The Ancient Egyptians practiced medicinal remedies for a variety of ailments. These remedies were documented on papyrus in hieratic script.  They used spells and incantations which demonstrated a close association between medicine and magic. They had various tools used in surgery and medical procedures such as bone saws, cautery for sealing wounds, knives, dental forceps, catheters, scalpels, and specula for viewing the inside of the body.  They also used bandages, sponges, and scales.

The multiple weapons of the Ancient Egyptians included spears, battle-axes, slicing axes, khepesh swords, daggers. maces and bows and arrows. These were used for hunting and defending off enemies. Pharoahs were the Minister of War and Commander in Chief of the army. He led his troops into battle. The pharoah’s presence represented the rule of Egypt and also symbolized order in the universe because pharaohs were referred to as gods. Since early dynastic times the pharaoh struck down the enemy by using a mace or a battle ax. The Egyptian army enlisted foreign mercenaries to assist them in wars. The war chariot was introduced by the Hyksos invaders from Palestine during the second intermediate period (1650 – 1550 BC). The chariot enhanced their warfare abilities. The chariot usually carried a driver and a soldier armed with bows and arrows and spears. Warfare was a way of bringing harmony to the Egyptians.

Traffic on the Nile was of central importance and served as a means of communication. The Nile also provided fish and other food. Their boats were either papyrus skiffs to large wooden vessels. Papyrus boats were affordable for everyone. Papyrus grew along the Nile River in abundance. It grew to a height of ten feet in season. The stems, dried and made into bunches, were bound together with ropes which was made from the plants’ fiber. The outer stems were used to make sandals, mats, and baskets. The plant also provided writing materials, food and medicine. Very versatile plant. Wooden boats, constructed for the wealthy, served as funerary equipment.

The Ancient Egyptian society consisted of a hierarchal structure. Pharoahs and their spouses, children and the pharoahs’ parents were at the top of pyramid. High military official and high priests were directly under the ruling class. Soldiers, scribes, priests and craftsmen and artists were next on the ladder of notoriety and power. At the bottom of the ladder were the farmers, serfs and prisoners, fishermen and servants. A caste system existed which involved one’s association to the ruling class, royalty was born from royalty. The poor were born poor and remained at that status until their death.  

            The food for the entire community was provided by the peasant farmers who worked in the fields. Forced to pay taxes from their yields, this often left the peasants struggling to make ends meet. The scribes supervised the collection of grain and calculate the amount due to the ruling class. They surveyed the fields to make a determination about the amount of yield was expected and what taxes would be due. The peasants lived in small rudimentary mud huts while the elite resided in luxurious villas surrounded by gardens.

            The peasant population made up the majority of Egypt’s population. Agriculture and raising of animals served as the basis for their economy. The population at 2500 BC was 1.5 million. The Egyptian’s advanced irrigation system afforded increased yields of crops which allowed the population to grow. During Rameses II reign the population rose to 3 million from 1279 to 1213 BC. The population grew to over 5 million under Cleopatra’s rule (Strudwick, 2017).

            The Ancient Egyptian time period, filled with many mysterious religious, technological and scientific wonders, have puzzled many throughout the history of this planet. Especially the Great Pyramid in Giza which is referred to as the seventh wonder. Gods and goddesses played an important role for all the inhabitants. It was believed that Osiris was one of the gods who provided the human population with instruction regarding agriculture and other technological advancements. Was Osiris a fallen angel or an Anunnaki from the 12^th Planet? The nine significant gods were worshipped by all. Pharoahs were considered gods to be worshipped. The Ancient Egyptians in the shadow of a kingdom of gods.

It Happened at the Waterfall

Dazed and confused, Netta felt her way to dry ground.  Her head was throbbing.  Blood was dripping down her face from the top of her head. She wiped it from her face before it dripped into her eyes. She was trying to recall how she got there and could not remember anything. She was struggling to sit up after crawling a few feet from the water fall. She stared at the water as it fell from above, admiring its beauty. She knelt before the water, cupped water in her hands and washed her face. She rinsed her aching head under the flowing water. Netta tried to stand up. Her knees were wobbly.  She leaned against a tree to get her balance. She started walking, hoping she would find someone. She discovered she was by railroad tracks. A wagon driven by a young man and woman was approaching her alongside the tracks. She stood up and walked towards the oncoming wagon.  

          The young woman looked a little frazzled when her husband helped Netta onto the bed of the wagon. The newlyweds were on their way to a cabin in the woods to celebrate the newness of their wedded bliss when they came across Netta.  The streets were bustling with activity and music could be heard from the saloon doors when they approached the village of Munising.  The young man and woman rode past the saloon and continued down the street. The young man, named John, turned the wagon around and headed back towards the saloon. Emma, his new wife, prodded John to turn around and he obliged. John helped Netta down from the wagon and brought her to the saloon. He walked in with her and told the bartender how he found her by the tracks. Edward, the bartender, told him he would provide her a room and he would contact old Doc to check in on her.

Doc approached the bed where Netta was lying. He asked “What’s your name?”

“I don’t know. How did I get here?” asked Netta.

“John and Emma brought you here. They said they found you by the tracks,” replied Doc.

“I woke up by a waterfall. My head was bleeding,” replied Netta.

“You have a big gash on your head. Do you remember how you got that?” asked Doc.

“No. I just remember waking up by the waterfall.”

“I will get some whiskey from the bar to pour on that gash and bandage it so it won’t get infected,” said Doc.

Netta, who really did not know who she was, was scared and wished she could remember what happened to her.

Doc poured a generous amount of whiskey on her head and handed her a cloth to wipe her face. She jumped when it was poured on her head. She was in so much pain and the doc just made it worse. He wrapped a bandage around her head and told her to drink some whiskey so she could get some sleep without feeling too much pain. Netta gagged as she swallowed the pungent liquid. The room started spinning around and she passed out from the pain in a drunken stupor.

“Wake up sleepy head,” said Rose.

Netta looked up groggily at Rose and asked, “Where am I?”

“You are at the Lucky Star. You ended up here a couple of days ago.  We thought we should wake you and get some grub down you so you gain your strength back.”

Netta took one look at the soup and ran to the window and vomited.

“Oh, you poor thing. I will get a cold compress for that head of yours.”

Rose ran to the river behind the saloon and dipped a cloth in the water and brought it back for Netta’s head. Netta smiled meekly at Rose.

After a couple of weeks, Netta started feeling better. She was getting her strength back. She still didn’t remember who she was or why she ended up at the waterfall.

Rose decided to come up with a name for Netta. “How about we call you Elenore? I had a grandma who just passed and her name was Elenore.”

“I like that name.”

“Elenore it is.”

“Where am I?” asked Elenore.

“You are in Munising, a town in the Michigan territory,” replied Rose.

Munising was an up and coming community with lots of prospects located in the western portion of the Upper Peninsula near Marquette. An early settler by the name of Thomas G. Sullivan was the first mayor of the village. In 1894, Timothy Nester traveled to Munising with Captain Taylor and saw potential for the struggling community. The population at that time was 500. He hired men and the work began at the village. First, he had a post office constructed. In 1896, the village was incorporated. The population jumped to over 3,000 in a short amount of time. Docks, a tannery, and sawmills were constructed, which put many of the men to work who relocated to Munising from various locations.  A newspaper was printed that announced the local news.

Simon saw a need to run a saloon and provide some female companions for the unmarried men in the community. The men greatly outnumbered the women in Munising. Some of the married men also frequented the saloon to partake in some of the women’s attributes. There were never enough women to go around and Simon was always looking for more women. Simon believed that if the men had women and liquor to occupy their time when they weren’t working, they would stay out of trouble. That was good in theory but did not represent real life during that time period. Many men were severely injured and even lost their lives during brawls, usually over gambling debts or women. Poker was the game of choice.

                                                                                           

“What year is it?” asked Elenore.

“The year is 1899,” responded Rose. 

“I have something to ask you. Simon sent me up to talk to you about working for him.”

“What kind of work? Does he want me to serve drinks?” asked Elenore.

“No, silly,” replied Rose.

“What does he want me to do?” asked Elenore.

“He wants you to lay with men like I do to earn our keep. There are a lot of men who do not have wives to keep them company. Simon has noticed how the men look at you and he thinks you could make up your keep by pleasing them,” said Rose. She could tell Elenore was uneasy with the prospect. She smiled meekly at Elenore to ease her mind. Elenore looked confused more than anything.

“You remember I don’t remember anything from my past. I don’t even know if I have been with a man before. How will I even know what to do? I feel really uncomfortable about what Simon wants me to do,” said Elenore. Her eyes spoke volumes. She looked confused and scared at the same time. Rose was feeling sorry for her.

“The men usually know what to do. You just have to lay there and pretend you like what they are doing,” said Rose, trying to reassure her.

Rose looked at Elenore and wondered what else she could say to ease Elenore’s mind.

Several days after Rose talked with Elenore, Elenore agreed begrudgingly to go along with Simon’s requests. She was feeling guilty because she wasn’t earning her keep.

Elenore ended up being the favored one of the working women at the Lucky Star. Most of the men requested her.  Elenore was a petite woman with long flowing auburn hair. Her dazzling blue eyes caught the eye of many men. The men often wondered why she wasn’t happily married to a prominent man and they wondered how she ended up at the Lucky Star.

Samuel was sleeping on some hay in the loft of his family’s sawmill. He was suddenly awakened by a loud crash. He had no light but he looked down to see what made that sound. He could hear people walking around. Someone was carrying a large tree limb with the end lit up with fire. Samuel could see that the person holding the lighted limb was an Indian person. He was shining the light over one of the saws. Another Indian held a large rock above his head and he started pounding on the saw blade. Samuel was beside himself and he reached for his flintlock, loaded it and shot at the Indian with the large rock and just missed his head. Part of his ear was shot off. The one holding the light yelled in another language and everyone ran from the sawmill.

Samuel waited for awhile and then climbed down from the loft. He snuck out the back door and headed for his family’s home. He yelled for his Paw. His Paw came out from his bedroom scratching his head with one hand and holding his gun with his other hand. His gun was pointed at his son.

“Paw, it’s me. Don’t shoot me,” said Samuel.

“What’s wrong, son?” asked his Paw.

“I caught some Indians trying to destroy one of our main saw blades. I got a shot in before they ran off. I think I shot one of those Indian’s ears clean off,” said Samuel.

“That’s good son. Maybe they will think twice before coming here again to cause trouble.”

“We need to tell the mayor about the what the Indians tried to do to our sawmill.”

“I will tell him first thing in the morning. Right now, let’s get some shut eye, son. I want you to sleep inside with us tonight. I don’t want to take any chances.”

“Do you think they are going to come back tonight?”

“No, I think you scared them off.”

It was well-known that some of the Indian people who were living in the area created problems for some of the construction workers. They were sneaking into the town during the night and stealing tools and wrecking some of the construction projects.  They were careful not to get caught. Samuel was the first person to catch them in the act.

Native Americans have had a long history in the Munising area. The name Munising was an Indian name which meant “Place of the Great Island” in the Ojibwe language. Grand Island was an island that many people of many races had visited.

In 1668 the French explored the Munising area and the area was considered part of New France. Convoys of voyagers camped along the coast of Lake Superior from Grand Marais to Au Train. The Paris Peace Treaty of 1763 ceded the area to the British and the region became a part of the struggling United States.

The native people lived near the mouth of Sand River in 1820. They moved their village to Sand Point because a post was built on Grand Island in the 1820s by the American Fur Company. Prior to the white settlers moving to the area, the area was visited by fur traders, explorers and fishermen. In 1850, white men discovered the area known as Au Train. At that time, the village consisted of thirty homes, a blacksmith shop, sawmill and lighthouse.

Some of the shores in Munising were lined with cliffs known today as the Pictured Rocks because of their multicolored sandstone and mineral stains on the face of the cliffs. The Indian people had given names to such phenomenon and legends were told about the area. Legends were told about the cliffs.

Treaties with the Indian people were negotiated by the President of the United States and were binding when approved by the Indians and two-thirds of the U.S. Senate. Many tribal people felt they had no choice but to give in to the U. S. government. The greatest number of treaties were arranged between 1815 and 1860, during the prominent westward expansion, 260 treaties were secured. Almost 100 treaties specifically addressed boundaries between a tribe and the United States. Two tribes, the Potawatomi and Ojibwe (Michigan tribes), negotiated 42 treaties, which is more than any other tribe.

The 1836 Treaty of Washington changed the lives of many of the Native Americans living in Michigan. The treaty was a part of the Indian Removal faction, a movement which wiped out the ownership of a vast amount of Indian territories in Michigan for the Indian people.  Congress assigned commissioners to assure these treaty documents were secured with the tribes. The Indian people were considered the conquered ones. These meetings were not based on equality; the meetings exemplified expansionism. Henry Rowe Schoolcraft was instrumental in organizing gatherings of the Ojibwe and Odawa leaders to discuss the impending treaty negotiations. The1836 Treaty of Washington resulted in the takeover of 5/8 of the total land base in Michigan from the Indian people.

Many tribal people were still angry with the white settlers for encroaching on their land, taking all their resources and treating them with little to no respect. Some of the Indian people, especially the sons of past warriors were not ready to give into the white settlers. They wanted the settlers to know they meant business and they did not want them living on the land that belonged to their ancestors.

“Thomas, our sawmill was attacked last night by Indians. Samuel caught them in the act. He thinks he shot one in the ear,” said Henry, Samuel’s father. Thomas G. Sullivan, an early settler, was the first mayor of Munising after it was incorporated.

“What did you catch them doing?” asked Thomas.

“One of the Indians had a large rock and he was pounding the rock on a saw blade,” replied Henry.

“Now they are going after sawmills. They destroyed one of the side walls to the post office the other night. It’s being repaired as we speak. I don’t feel like they are a threat to our lives, but their destruction needs to stop.”

“I will have to fix the saw blade. They didn’t do too much damage, but I can’t use it the way it is,” said Henry.

Thomas said, “I have an idea. Let’s take a few of our men folk and go to their village and take to them about what is going on. Perhaps we can ask them to provide protection for our village and pay them for their services.”

“That sounds like a grand idea,” replied Henry.

Rose felt she was getting long in the tooth, too long in the tooth to be a working girl at the Lucky Star. She still had a nice body. Round where she needed to be with long, thin legs. Wrinkles surrounded her sparkling eyes and mouth. Rose was still requested when certain gentlemen came calling, but she was starting to dread those times. She was hoping Simon would let her take the position of cook at his little establishment. The previous cook died of consumption. Simon’s wife, Lucinda, was filling in. Lucinda had little ones to care for at home. Her youngsters were being cared for by their oldest daughter, Betsy. Lucinda feared it was too much responsibility for a ten-year-old. Betsy was cooking and cleaning along with taking care of Bud and Lawrence because she had to be at the saloon ten hours a day to cook and clean.

“I would really like to cook for you,” said Rose.

“I have Lucinda here by my side where she belongs,” replied Simon.

Lucinda glared at Simon.

“What’s with the look, Lucinda?”

“I can’t be here every day. Betsy is run ragged taking care of our boys and the house. I need to be home taking care of them,” replied Lucinda. She stood with her hands on her hips.

“Can’t we work out something? Perhaps that neighbor lady could spell Betsy now and again so she won’t get so worn out,” said Simon.

“You know we can’t count on Beth. She likes to drink too much. Just the other day I saw her stumbling across the road trying to get to her house.”

“I bet she would quick tipping the bottle if she was watching our youngsters,” said Simon.

“I can’t trust someone like that,” said Lucinda.

“Give me a chance to prove myself. You won’t be sorry,” said Rose.

“You earn good money for this place by doing exactly what you do,” said Simon.

“You haven’t noticed that I haven’t been too busy lately. I am getting too old,” said Rose.

“Give her a chance Simon,” demanded Lucinda.

Lucinda took off the apron she was wearing and handed it to Rose.

“It looks like I don’t really have a choice in the matter,” said Simon. He turned abruptly and walked back to the bar to serve a customer.

“I would like something from your top shelf. Something that will slide down my palate smoothly,” said a man. The man was tall with broad shoulders, he had dark hair and blue eyes. His eyes looked like they penetrated right through you.

He made Simon feel uncomfortable. Simon looked at the man uneasily and replied, “We only have whiskey.” Simon pointed to the jars of whiskey that lined the shelf behind him.

The man sighed and said, “Give me a whiskey.”

Elenore approached the bar to meet her next client. She froze in her tracks when she saw the tall, dark stranger.

Rose ran to her side and said, “What’s wrong? It’s look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Elenore could not respond. She was stiff with fear.

Rose looked at the man and Simon to see if she could figure out what was going on.

The stranger stared back at Rose. Rose backed up and took another look at the man.

Elenore turned and ran. She took the stairs two at a time.

Rose was following close behind her.

Rose slammed the door to Elenore’s room.

“Do you know that man?” asked Rose.

“I don’t know. I think I know him from somewhere,” replied Elenore.

Elenore was trembling and sobbing at the same time.

They heard loud footsteps in the hall outside Elenore’s room.

There was a loud knock at the door. Elenore and Rose jumped and looked at each other, eyes as big as saucers.

“It’s me,” Simon said.

Rose went to the door and let Simon in.

“I don’t know who that man was. Never seen him before, but he sure shook you up Elenore. Do you know who he is?” asked Simon.

“I think he might be from my past. I still can’t remember anything from my past.”

“He left as soon as he saw you. Didn’t finish his whiskey. Acted like his ass was on fire.”

Simon looked at Elenore and shook his head.

Henry, Thomas, Samuel, Edward and Earl loaded their flintlocks, put saddles on their horses and headed to the Indian settlement outside of town. They wanted to meet with the Indian men to discuss what could be done about the destructive acts occurring almost nightly.

White Feather greeted them. He could speak broken English.

“White Feather, we need your help,” said Thomas. The men agreed that Thomas, being the mayor, should lead the discussion with the Indian men. They referred to him as the chief of the town of Munising so he may be given more respect.

“Whaaat help do you need?” stuttered White Feather. White Feather was the chief of the settlement.

“Someone has been sneaking into our town and causing some damage to buildings,” replied Thomas.

“Whaaat do you want from us?” asked White Feather.

“We would like to pay you and your warriors to keep watch over our town to make sure nothing bad happens,” replied Thomas.

“You want to pay us?” asked White Feather.

“Yes. We would pay you in food, clothes and blankets,” said Thomas.

“I talk to warriors and see what they say,” replied White Feather. White Feather walked over to some of the Indian men standing near the fire and told them about the proposition. White Feather returned to the fire to tell Thomas what they said.

“The warriors said they happy to watch over your settlement,” said White Feather.

Thomas motioned to the other men in his party and they handed salt pork, blankets and shirts over to White Feather.

White Feather motioned for the warriors to join them at the fire. The peace pipe was passed around. The men rode their horses back to Munising, hopeful that the destruction would stop once and for all.

Elenore was having a fitful dream. She woke up screaming. Rose was staying in the room next to her. She was awakened and ran into Elenore’s room. Elenore was covered in sweat, sitting up and hugging her chest.

“Elenore, what happened?” asked a concerned and frightened Rose.

“I had this horrible dream. The man I saw yesterday was in my dream. He was tying me up and locking me in a room. He slapped and hit me before he tied me up. I was bleeding and pleading for him to stop. It was so terrifying,” sobbed Elenore.

“That must have been frightening,” responded Rose.

“It was. It seemed so real.”

Maybell, another working woman, knocked on Elenore’s door.

“Is everybody alright?” asked Maybell.

“Yes, Elenore had a nightmare,” replied Rose.

“Must have been some dream,” said Maybell.

“A man was in the saloon yesterday. A really creepy man with these scary eyes. Elenore ran upstairs when she saw him. I think he may have reminded her of someone from her past,” said Rose.

“I think you might be right. He looked really familiar,” said Elenore.,

“I wish you could remember your past, Elenore,” said Rose.

“I wish I could too,” said Elenore.

“Are you going to be okay?” asked Maybell.

“I think I am,” said Elenore.

“I will sleep next to you tonight until you fall asleep,” said Rose trying to reassure Elenore.

“That would be nice,” said Elenore.

White Feather assigned two of his most reliable men to guard the town of Munising that evening. He was hoping that whoever was causing the destruction would be caught and stopped once and for all. He did not want any of his people to be causing problems.  He thought it was important to keep the peace with the settlers.

Running Elk and Laughing Fox were sitting on top of one of the roofs watching over the town when they heard a thud followed by another thud. They climbed down from the roof to see what was going on. Two young Indian braves were seen hitting the door to the mayor’s office with large rocks. Running Elk and Laughing Fox crept up behind them and grabbed them from behind. They fought valiantly to get away until they saw who was holding onto them.

“Let go, we will explain,” said one of the young lads.

“Explain,” ordered Running Elk.

“We were sent by our grandfather to break things in the town,” said the young brave, named Standing Bear.

“I know two. You just went through the fasting ceremony to become young men,” said Laughing Fox.

“We are from the same clan,” responded Running Elk.

“Yes, we are,” said Standing Bear.

“We have been asked to protect the town from the town’s chief,” said Laughing Fox.

“I did not know that,” said Gray Fox, the other young brave.

“They provided us with blankets, food and clothes to wear,” said Running Elk.

“We need to honor their requests,” added Laughing Fox.

“Are you the only ones who are causing the destruction?” asked Running Elk.

“No, our brothers are in on it,” answered Gray Fox reluctantly.

“We were following orders given by our elders,” said Standing Bear feeling slighted for being caught and scolded.

“We need to stop this destruction once and for all. We need to have a working relationship with the white people. We cannot be at war with them,” said Laughing Fox.

“White Feather wants us to stop all the destruction and he had a feeling it was one of us causing the damage. He was right. Yes, the white people have come to our land and live here without any consideration for us. They have killed a lot of our game and fished our rivers. Our numbers are getting fewer and fewer. We need to protect our village by getting along with them. Do you understand what I am saying,” said Running Elk.

“Yes, we will talk to our brothers and tell them to stop,” said Standing Bear.

Elenore’s eyes were swollen from crying and not getting enough sleep the night before. Rose grabbed her hand and squeezed it to reassure her.

“I will talk with Simon to see if there is anything we can do to protect you from that man if he ever comes to the Lucky Star again,” said Rose.

“I don’t know if that is going to help. I don’t know why I was afraid of him. I wish I knew.”

“Hopefully, you get your memory back,” said Rose.

“Simon, remember that stranger that came into the saloon yesterday and Elenore’s reaction to seeing him,” said Rose.

“Ya, I do. What was that all about?” asked Simon.

“I think the man reminded Elenore of someone from the past. I was wondering if we could talk with Thomas, the mayor, and see if there is anything he can do for Elenore,” said Rose.

“I would be more than willing to talk to him. Why don’t you come with me Elenore?” asked Simon.

“I think I will. I think the fresh air will do me good,” replied Elenore.

“I will hold down the fort while the two of you are gone,” said Rose.

Thomas was surprised to hear about what happened the day before. He called in the Sheriff John Bailey to see what he had to say about the situation.

Thomas has been in love with Elenore since the first time he met her. He would pay for her services but would hold her in his arms. He wanted to make Elenore his wife. He thought he could get past the life she has led as long as she was safe with him. Thomas was wondering if she would be willing to stay at his home as a measure of protection against the unknown stranger.

“I was wondering if you would like staying under my roof until we figure out who the stranger is and if he is of any danger to you,” said Thomas, hopeful his suggestion would not appear to be out of line.

Thomas added, “I have an extra room where I could set up a cot for you to sleep on.”

“I think a change of lodging would help you feel more comfortable. I saw how scared you were yesterday. You should have seen her. It was like she saw a ghost,” said Simon.

“I will make up the cot today and you can sleep there tonight,” said Thomas.

“Thanks. I think I may feel safer if I stay at your home tonight,” replied Elenore. She was trying to appear grateful but something was nagging at her.

Elenore went back to work that afternoon and could not wait until she left to go to Thomas’ to sleep. The man did visit the saloon and he may return.

Simon escorted Elenore to Thomas’ home that evening.

Oliver was watching from the roof of a sawmill. He was plotting how he could get his hands on the woman he thought he left for dead at the waterfall. He had to kill her before she remembered who he is. Oliver was a prominent business man in the town of Shingleton. A small community outside of Munising. He was married to Netta for two years before he fell in love with Grace, a preacher’s daughter. Netta came from a well-established banker and he inherited land and a farmhouse when he married Netta. He was given a job at the bank as a loan officer. Netta had the habit of going off on her own to explore nature so it wasn’t a stretch when she went missing one day. The townsfolk thought she ran into a bear or a pack of wolves. Oliver acted like he was devastated when Netta did not return home. Grace, of course, was there to comfort Oliver.

Elenore went to sleep quickly on the cot in Thomas’ home. She was exhausted from the night before. She was tossing and turning. She sat upright on the cot. She was being flooded by memories. The man she saw at the Lucky Star was her husband. He was abusive to her and kept her locked up in their home the last week before she was brought to the waterfall.  She remembered his name was Oliver, an awful, arrogant man who the women seem to flock around. He was very charming. She woke up Thomas to tell him what she remembered. She wished he was Rose, but she could not hold in what she remembered. She had to share with someone.

A rock crashed through the window of the front room at Thomas’ home.

Men were yelling at the top of their lungs outside. Thomas grabbed his loaded rifle and ran outside. Oliver’s arms were being held by Running Elk and Laughing Fox. A lighted torch was lying on the ground at their feet.

“We caught this man before he threw the fire into your home, Chief Thomas,” said Laughing Fox.

“Thanks for catching the scoundrel. Help me bring him to the jail house,” said Thomas.

Before he was hauled off, Elenore slapped Oliver hard across the face.

Oliver went before a jury of Elenore’s peers and was found guilty of attempted murder. He was hung for his crime.

Thomas shared his feelings with Elenore and told her he always thought she was too good to be a working girl. They married shortly after her first husband was hung for his crime.