Faerybeads 'Crouching Leopard' Contest

A new contest for this weekend and week! Get ready for some serious digging!

The winner is drawn from both the comments beneath this post and comments made on our facebook page.
The winner, to be announced on April 26th, receives the Crouching Leopard pendant.

~ Good luck! ~

I love these contests     and learn so much!  I already stumbled across a gorgeous peacock spider with leopard spots:
http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/running-ponies/2014/05/03/new-species-of-peacock-spider-has-leopard-spots-and-cat-like-moves/

Warning: if you feel about spiders the way I do about snakes, do not click on the link.

Did you watch the little video? The waving dance was cute

Beady-Eyed wrote:I love these contests     and learn so much!  I already stumbled across a gorgeous peacock spider with leopard spots:
http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/running-ponies/2014/05/03/new-species-of-peacock-spider-has-leopard-spots-and-cat-like-moves/

Warning: if you feel about spiders the way I do about snakes, do not click on the link.

Gorgeous pendant!!! Reminds me à little of my Guy
even though he's a Bengal he's still from the amazing cat Family


My eldest took this picture this morning

He's beautiful x and so is your cat Fairy3

thank you

Rainbow wrote:He's beautiful x and so is your cat Fairy3

Thank you, Faerybeads for the Contest

-


Fairy3
Guy is so beautiful![/size]

I think they may both have trong claws we had one on a pilar in our yard ones and it held on so tight you couldn't get it to go away.

Oh, I LOVE this contest ... there is not only a really really amazing prize to win but it is also so much fun to search and dig for the right answer and to learn more about mythology and other cultures.
And here comes my story

Leopard, Peacock & Stars … a symbol for eternity

In Egyptian mythology Seshat is the goddess of wisdom, knowledge and writing. She did not only invent writing but was also identified as goddess of astronomy. In ancient paintings she is shown clothed in leopard hide. The spots on the skin were thought to represent stars. And the stars in the night sky symbolized eternity.

So now what does this have in common with the peacock … In Greco-Roman mythology the Peacock is identified with Hera who created the Peacock from her trusted watchman Argus by transferring his hundred all-seeing eyes to the Peacock’s tail when Argus was killed. Those eyes symbolize the „eye“ of the stars that watch over us humans and that are again a symbol for eternity.

These animals were simbols of pride and arrogance in Western culture . In Western art that sin was usually depicted as a woman with a peacock and a lion or an eagle - the main emblems of the earthly and the heavenly world. Other pride symbols were cock, a fallen angel, the leopard, the mirror, the Tower of Babel.

Don't know if anyone has mentioned this yet, but each peacock's tail feathers is unique as is each leopard's pattern of spots...

Hard one to answer as leopards were well known to the ancients but they used different terminology as they often confused leopards with other big cats like cheetahs, panthers, cougars, jaguars and some going by tail length rather than colour to distinguish (and I love that black leopards are still spotty, it's just you can't see them as they have a melanism condition). In Egyptian mythology you had Seshat dressed in a leopard/cheetah skin, Goddess Mafdet the "runner", the Serpopard with a leopard body and giraffe head, Tutankhamen statue and of course the Pharaohs keeping them in their houses.  The ancient Greeks, Byzantines and Romans represented the leopard a lot in their art, jewellery, coins and tombs. You have Dionysus in Ancient Greece and Argus Panoptes "Argos of a thousand eyes" whose eyes were transferred to the feathers of a peacock after he died. Arena leopards in Ancient Rome, pulling chariots, whole tombs of leopards in Etruscan, many Bible citations. Pre Columbian Meso American cultures ~ the light and dark, the pull of the sun and the moon across the sky; the Aztecs, Mayans and Olmec shamanism. The Native Americans protector of the universe or omen of death. "How the Leopard got its spots" from West African mythology and witches turning into leopards from the Makanga, Central Africa. Osebo in Ashanti folk tales. Leopard skin bow cases of Tibetan warrior deities. Fujin, the Shinto god of the wind in Japan. Leopards in French and English heraldry and in many countries' coats of arms. The snow leopard in Nepalese myths and traditions and as mountain spirits in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Central Asia. Embroidered on the robes of military officials in ancient China for their superior combat skills. When you look into it, leopards have always featured everywhere and with different meanings, cultural exchanges along The Silk Road and beyond. beautiful, mystical, magical creatures that they are

(oh and leopards and peacocks both climb trees )

Wow Splinty, you are a Leopard encyclopedia

Trollperle wrote:Wow Splinty, you are a Leopard encyclopedia

I got a bit carried away there didn't I haha it's my fascination with ancient cultures, leopards pop up so much, I kept thinking of more and couldn't seem to stop I'm surprised you managed to stay awake to hear me out

In the ancient world, the peacock was considered a sacred bird of ancient Greek goddess Hera (Juno in Roman mythology), which, according to legend, gave him a thousand eyes of the deceased all-seeing Argus. According to some legends Hera turned Argus into a peacock. Spots on the skin of a leopard is often associated with a variety of eye Argus. Thank you, faerybeads for this quiz.

splinty wrote:

Trollperle wrote:Wow Splinty, you are a Leopard encyclopedia

I got a bit carried away there didn't I haha it's my fascination with ancient cultures, leopards pop up so much, I kept thinking of more and couldn't seem to stop I'm surprised you managed to stay awake to hear me out

I love this contest and I love to read everybody´s explanations, but yours has caught me and I keep coming back to re-read

Totally awesome design. I will not participate because I cannot wear pendants due to it hurting my neck over time and I also was already so very lucky to win the lovely Italian Beads. I love to read all the explanations here and on the net (yes, I googled ), though,  and I find it most interesting how many deities are associated with both animals. What I find most interesting is the white specimens of both of them. Very magickal animals

great answers, especially Splinty!

I will give an answer too....

what do leopard and peacock have in common?

Leopard Peacock...... I tried!

Catsworld wrote:great answers, especially Splinty!

I will give an answer too....

what do leopard and peacock have in common?

Leopard   Peacock......    I tried!

  I wish I had thought of that

But seriously: From all the posts and from what I googled both are inherently magickal animals with eye-like patterns who stand for power and the afterlife, as well - Both are truly beautiful animals

Hum...leopard and peacock...ha! They both are wonderful Faerybeads-Designs!

How clever!!

wilsche wrote:Hum...leopard and peacock...ha! They both are wonderful Faerybeads-Designs!

splinty wrote:

Trollperle wrote:Wow Splinty, you are a Leopard encyclopedia

I got a bit carried away there didn't I haha it's my fascination with ancient cultures, leopards pop up so much, I kept thinking of more and couldn't seem to stop I'm surprised you managed to stay awake to hear me out

Wow, you got us digging for even more!

So... I am delighted we could award you!


Congratulations, Splinty!

Your prize ships as soon as possible!

Congrats Splinty!

Woo hoo, Splinty!!! Well-deserved!

Ohhh yay Splinty, so happy for you.