THE INFLUENCE OF CELTIC MYTH AND RELIGION ON THE ARTHURIAN LEGENDS

The person and idea of King Arthur conjures up various images ranging from a young boy pulling a sword from a stone, to a triumphant warrior in battle, to an aging man floating on a barge to the mystical isle of Avalon. Some of the current scholarly discussion regarding Arthur revolves around his historicity. Whether or not a man, warrior, or king named Arthur ever actually walked the earth has little effect on the literature of the man and his legends. These legends were birthed from cultures that needed a hero, one who could shoulder the hopes of all of Britain. The man and his retinue who emerge from the legends known as Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table has roots finnly embedded in Celtic history. Celtic mythology and religion laid the foundation for the legends of Arthur. This thesis will establish three tracts from which the Arthurian legends derive their roots from Celtic mythology and Celtic Christianity. Celtic characteristics are prevalent in Arthurian literature and the feats of Arthur and his knights find their heritage in the tales of Celtic mythology. Direct parallels can be drawn from Cu Chulainn in the Ulster cycle tales, from early tales of Arthur such as are found in the Mabinogion, and even from Malory\u27s Morte d\u27a Arthur. Similarly, the legends of Gwydion in Celtic mythology can actually be considered a precursor to Arthur himself. Likewise, the magical, or mythical elements seen in the stories of Arthur have direct links to Celtic gods. For example, the Celtic goddess of war and death, Morrigaine, is a precursor to Arthur\u27s legendary sister, Morgan Le Fay. So too, the early Celtic mythological character Myrddin passes his magic along to Merlin. Finally, one of the predominant branches of the Arthurian stories is the persistent quest for one worthy to find the Holy Grail. This holy symbol which is such a cornerstone of this legend can actually be traced back to the Celtic horn of plenty and the cup that Joseph of Arimathea allegedly brought to the British Isles. The Celtic connection between the Arthurian Grail and Celtic mythology and religion is unmistakable . Arthur is not just a hero of the British: his roots are found among the Celts. As the Celts made their transition from paganism to Christianity, so did their literature, and their heroes. Hence, Celtic symbols, characters, heroes, and gods morphed from pagan to Christian or other acceptable forms, into what we now know as the Legends of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table

The Ursinus Weekly, October 24, 1974

Profs to lecture on Pa. Dutch arts • Dr. Lodge joins U.C. Psych Dept. • Campus Chest plans for funds and fun • Forum features flute and guitar • Is there a ghost in U.C.\u27s haunted hall? • Letters to the editor: Students demand a good education • The origin of The Lantern • Alumni corner • An autumn walk • Mr. Richter goes to school • What\u27s playing at the movies? • Spectrum blues: Joe Cocker • Spanish Club plans outing • Campus Gold activities • Introducing campus leaders • Money given away • Ursinus Homecoming 1974: Fraternity candidates to wear the queen\u27s crown • Homecoming from Ursinus past • Union ripped-off • A football commentary • X-country: three in a rowhttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/weekly/1023/thumbnail.jp

World Health Organization cardiovascular disease risk charts: revised models to estimate risk in 21 global regions

BACKGROUND: To help adapt cardiovascular disease risk prediction approaches to low-income and middle-income countries, WHO has convened an effort to develop, evaluate, and illustrate revised risk models. Here, we report the derivation, validation, and illustration of the revised WHO cardiovascular disease risk prediction charts that have been adapted to the circumstances of 21 global regions. METHODS: In this model revision initiative, we derived 10-year risk prediction models for fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular disease (ie, myocardial infarction and stroke) using individual participant data from the Emerging Risk Factors Collaboration. Models included information on age, smoking status, systolic blood pressure, history of diabetes, and total cholesterol. For derivation, we included participants aged 40-80 years without a known baseline history of cardiovascular disease, who were followed up until the first myocardial infarction, fatal coronary heart disease, or stroke event. We recalibrated models using age-specific and sex-specific incidences and risk factor values available from 21 global regions. For external validation, we analysed individual participant data from studies distinct from those used in model derivation. We illustrated models by analysing data on a further 123 743 individuals from surveys in 79 countries collected with the WHO STEPwise Approach to Surveillance. FINDINGS: Our risk model derivation involved 376 177 individuals from 85 cohorts, and 19 333 incident cardiovascular events recorded during 10 years of follow-up. The derived risk prediction models discriminated well in external validation cohorts (19 cohorts, 1 096 061 individuals, 25 950 cardiovascular disease events), with Harrell's C indices ranging from 0·685 (95% CI 0·629-0·741) to 0·833 (0·783-0·882). For a given risk factor profile, we found substantial variation across global regions in the estimated 10-year predicted risk. For example, estimated cardiovascular disease risk for a 60-year-old male smoker without diabetes and with systolic blood pressure of 140 mm Hg and total cholesterol of 5 mmol/L ranged from 11% in Andean Latin America to 30% in central Asia. When applied to data from 79 countries (mostly low-income and middle-income countries), the proportion of individuals aged 40-64 years estimated to be at greater than 20% risk ranged from less than 1% in Uganda to more than 16% in Egypt. INTERPRETATION: We have derived, calibrated, and validated new WHO risk prediction models to estimate cardiovascular disease risk in 21 Global Burden of Disease regions. The widespread use of these models could enhance the accuracy, practicability, and sustainability of efforts to reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease worldwide. FUNDING: World Health Organization, British Heart Foundation (BHF), BHF Cambridge Centre for Research Excellence, UK Medical Research Council, and National Institute for Health Research

Rising rural body-mass index is the main driver of the global obesity epidemic in adults

Body-mass index (BMI) has increased steadily in most countries in parallel with a rise in the proportion of the population who live in cities(.)(1,2) This has led to a widely reported view that urbanization is one of the most important drivers of the global rise in obesity(3-6). Here we use 2,009 population-based studies, with measurements of height and weight in more than 112 million adults, to report national, regional and global trends in mean BMI segregated by place of residence (a rural or urban area) from 1985 to 2017. We show that, contrary to the dominant paradigm, more than 55% of the global rise in mean BMI from 1985 to 2017-and more than 80% in some low- and middle-income regions-was due to increases in BMI in rural areas. This large contribution stems from the fact that, with the exception of women in sub-Saharan Africa, BMI is increasing at the same rate or faster in rural areas than in cities in low- and middle-income regions. These trends have in turn resulted in a closing-and in some countries reversal-of the gap in BMI between urban and rural areas in low- and middle-income countries, especially for women. In high-income and industrialized countries, we noted a persistently higher rural BMI, especially for women. There is an urgent need for an integrated approach to rural nutrition that enhances financial and physical access to healthy foods, to avoid replacing the rural undernutrition disadvantage in poor countries with a more general malnutrition disadvantage that entails excessive consumption of low-quality calories.Peer reviewe

Evaluation of service quality in family planning clinics in Lusaka, Zambia

OBJECTIVE: To determine the quality of contraceptive services in family planning clinics in Lusaka, Zambia using a standardized approach. STUDY DESIGN: We utilized the Quick Investigation of Quality, a cross-sectional survey tool consisting of a facility assessment, client-provider observation, and client exit interview, in public-sector family planning clinics. Data were collected on availability of seven contraceptive methods, information given to clients, interpersonal relations between providers and clients, providers’ technical competence, and mechanisms for continuity and follow-up. RESULTS: Data were collected from five client-provider observations and client exit interviews in each of six public-sector family planning clinics. All clinics had at least two contraceptive methods continuously available for the preceding six months. Most providers asked clients about concerns with their contraceptive method (80%) and told clients when to return to the clinic (87%). Most clients reported that the provider advised what to do if a problem develops (93%); described possible side effects (89%); explained how to use the method effectively (85%); and told them when to come for follow-up (83%). Clients were satisfied with services received (93%). CONCLUSION(S): This application of the Quick Investigation of Quality showed that the participating family planning clinics in Lusaka, Zambia were prepared to offer high quality services with the available commodities, and clients were satisfied with the received services. Despite the subjective client satisfaction, quality improvement efforts are needed to increase contraceptive availability. IMPLICATIONS: Although clients perceived the quality of care received to be high, family planning service quality could be improved to continuously offer the full spectrum of contraceptive options. The Quick Investigation of Quality was easily implemented in Lusaka, Zambia, and this simple approach could be utilized in a variety of settings as a modality for quality improvement