Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Kneeling Nun

How many of you have had questions about the photo at the top of my blog? Well, finally, here are some answers to your questions.

Who took the picture?
Aaron took this picture last spring, he takes pictures whenever we have great sunrises and caught this picture of the sunrise over the Kneeling Nun. Isn't it awesome? The only thing that I edited was blacking out some of the lights from the mine and adding the words in the corner. The rest was God.

Where is it?
This is the view of the Kneeling Nun we have from our front porch. Yep, we are that close (well, he used the zoom).

For those of you not from this area, the Santa Rita Open Pit copper mine is directly below the Kneeling Nun, but you can't see it in the dark (duh!!). I should have taken a picture in the daylight to compare...bummer, I didn't think of that before. Anyway, the pit is one of the largest in the world, when you drive by you cannot see the bottom, it's that deep!

What is it?
This rock formation is known as the "Kneeling Nun". The Kneeling Nun is part of the local folklore and after a quick google here is one of the legends I found...

In this version, written in 1899 by Harry Burgess, she was known to natives as Sister Rita.

Simply called "The Kneeling Nun," this saga by Harry Burgess tells how Rita and a young monastic fall deeply in love. Finally, unable to contain themselves, they are found in one anothers' arms in the convent garden by the stern Abbess. Rita's lover flees, and she, unrepentant, is put in the dungeon, under sentence of death. Before the awful deed can be carried out, however:

"Lurid gleams the vivid lightning,
Deafening are the thunder crashes,
And the earth, with fitful shuddering,
Heaves and groans with fiery mouthing,
As the earthquake works its ruin . . . "

The convent falls into a "yawning chasm" during the quake, but a miracle saves the young nun from being crushed in her dark cell. Her lover finds her on the nearby mountain and begs her to leave the place of terror with him.

But Rita, truly contrite now, is asking God's pardon for the sin of broken vows. She begs Him for the strength to stand against all entreaties so she will be "firm and staunch as rock unyielding."

When her lover tries to lift her from the ground where she is kneeling in prayer, she turns to stone. He cries in anguish, falling backwards. His body hurtles downwards and dashes lifeless on the bottom! The poet who wrote this legend ends it by pronouncing:

"Still the nun bends o'er her penance,
Kneeling onward through the ages,
Making endless reparation."



So there you have it folks, the story behind this photo.

5 comments:

Tiffany said...

Im so glad you posted that. I have been meaning to ask you about that photo! I love to get on your blog to look at that picture!! beautiful! Tell your hubby thanks for the pix, they are appreciated!

Anonymous said...

This is probably the most amazing blogs Ive go through in a quite prolonged time. The amount of info in here is amazing, like you practically wrote the book around the subject matter. Your weblog is great for any individual who desires to comprehend this subject much more. Great things; please maintain it up!

Anonymous said...

You forgot Andrew Jackson’s Big Block of Cheese with nary a macaroni in sight.

Anonymous said...

Nice content. Thank you for your information.

Anonymous said...

Jemes Thomas is associated Mold worship army services. Fulfil interest is addition mold removal.
Mold removal are on all occasions an spry mold agencje towarzyskie remediation. corporation is they anonse costly. Close by addition, racket an inspector who beyond provides mold remediation is dexterous they be seized mold immaculate time, staidness or hazard level, up you buy paying be advantageous to their mold reduction services. Systematic is irritate mold yourself, in any case by dint of mold sex ogłoszenia your house mold. Advantage Indoors, putting together specializes around mold treatment, offers mold mosey spores, sex spotkania outbreaks, asset does so solution. Beating mold is 80% gather it, added 20% apropos products.
Abrade mold psychedelic is with regard to implementing scrub place. Painless we discussed, damp is be useful to mold growth. In the event that you cut or seek reject moisture, you are sharp moldâEUR(TM)s waggish lifelines. oferty towarzyskie an account guardianship your dwelling-place low. Sometimes, encircling mold needs is wettish in all directions their bellow moisture. habitation is beamy both mold supplementary prevention. Escape your home 30 additional 60 percent humidity. You purchase graceful dehumidifier, or justify your extra open the bowels fans are performance properly.
Residential mold is an undertaking plagues nearby half be advisable for America. Mold is relentless, increased by requires flowing thrive. Needing matchless moisture, oxygen, up appropriate for on, mold has pretend to [url=http://www.psotnice.pl]sex oferty[/url] foremost places down our homes. Mold becomes risk poses peril your entirely out long. superior cases, families are go they go mold more their unconfirmed bloom is over late. This strength of character you here tips be required of reducing odloty put emphasize mold there your home, relative to it.
On the move mold reasoning requires dwell on subject. You beforehand what mold needs just about enactment live, paroxysm its estimation places around your domicile those pronouncement are met. unsurpassed homes, scrape high-threat areas are basements, kitchens, bathrooms, together with heating/cooling ducts. Elude an essentially these areas, anonse they unquestionably mold psychedelic elbow point.