Lyon Explains How Things Evolve in Monthly Column
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Lyon's Din-
According to this email, Adam and Eve grew tired of walking in the Garden of Eden by themselves. So they pleaded to God for a companion.
God’s response was to reach down, grab some soil and blow His breath upon the clump of soil. Then He placed the clump at Adam and Eve’s feet. The soil became a creature
This creature began wagging its tail, running in circles around them and jumping up and down trying to lick their hands. Adam thanked God and asked God what they shall name this new creature. God told them to call it Dog.
Several months later, an angel visited the Garden to observe the relationship between Adam, Eve and Dog. The angel reported back to God. The angel told God that Adam and Eve were boasting how they had total dominion over Dog.
God decided Adam and Eve needed to be humbled. On His next visit to the garden, he reached down, again grabbed some soil and blew His breath upon it. He place the clump at Adam and Eve’s feet.
The soil became a creature. This creature just sat there, looked around and then started to lick its fur. Adam, somewhat surprised, asked God what they shall name this new creature. God told them to call it Cat.
During our 52 years of marriage, Mrs. L and I have co-existed with – one at a time – three cats and three dogs.
I prefer dogs. Dogs seem to accept me as I am with all my imperfections. Their affections seemed to be unbridled, unconditional, unfettered and guileless.
The cats gave me the impression my character resume did not meet their standard. They were very haughty and guileful. Their affection seemed to be bridled, conditional and reflective.
Humans and dogs started their mutual co-existence some 15 to 20 thousand years ago. DNA samples taken from feral dogs have traced their linage to the Mongolian and Nepal wolves. Humans living in this region were hunters and gatherers. Simply stated, humans and wolves developed a mutual sustaining relationship. Carbon dated to be 10 to 15 thousand years old, pictographs in European caves depict wolf-like animals clustered among humans who appeared to be hunting “game” animals.
Throughout our western states, there are pictographs with similar caricatures. The western states pictographs suggest that the human-wolf bond existed during the migration across the land barrier connecting the Asian and North American continents. After their arrival, their migration is well documented as humans and “wolves” started to populate the western portion of North America and throughout what is now Mexico, Central America, and South America.
I remember reading an article that humans and cats began their co-existence during the Macedonian era some three to five thousand years ago. Today’s “house cat” or domestic cat lineage, according to this article, has been traced back to feral cats that lived throughout the European and North African continents. The article also suggested that the co-existence was mutually beneficial. The cats lived in the outbuildings and preyed on the rodents. Then sometime during the decline of the Macedonian empire the cats started to live with humans in the human’s residences.
It was the ancient Egyptians who brought the cat into temples and eventually bestowed a deity upon them. The highest deity was Bastet, a goddess that the ancients prayed to for protection especially during times of chaos and war. The ancient Egyptians considered Bastet to be the daughter of their principle god, the sun god Ra. They built a temple especially for her in Bubastes with priests serving at the temple and collecting tithes from the worshipers.
Perhaps that is why today’s domestic cat is so haughty and independent. They know that they were once worshipped as gods and they don’t want humans to forget.
*****
Gary Lyon, a longtime Warsaw resident, is a retiree who has developed a sanctimonious pragmatist viewpoint from his life’s experiences. You can send comments to him through Facebook. Request to be added as a friend of Gary Lyon, Warsaw, Ind. He will do his best to respond to comments or suggestions.[[In-content Ad]]
According to this email, Adam and Eve grew tired of walking in the Garden of Eden by themselves. So they pleaded to God for a companion.
God’s response was to reach down, grab some soil and blow His breath upon the clump of soil. Then He placed the clump at Adam and Eve’s feet. The soil became a creature
This creature began wagging its tail, running in circles around them and jumping up and down trying to lick their hands. Adam thanked God and asked God what they shall name this new creature. God told them to call it Dog.
Several months later, an angel visited the Garden to observe the relationship between Adam, Eve and Dog. The angel reported back to God. The angel told God that Adam and Eve were boasting how they had total dominion over Dog.
God decided Adam and Eve needed to be humbled. On His next visit to the garden, he reached down, again grabbed some soil and blew His breath upon it. He place the clump at Adam and Eve’s feet.
The soil became a creature. This creature just sat there, looked around and then started to lick its fur. Adam, somewhat surprised, asked God what they shall name this new creature. God told them to call it Cat.
During our 52 years of marriage, Mrs. L and I have co-existed with – one at a time – three cats and three dogs.
I prefer dogs. Dogs seem to accept me as I am with all my imperfections. Their affections seemed to be unbridled, unconditional, unfettered and guileless.
The cats gave me the impression my character resume did not meet their standard. They were very haughty and guileful. Their affection seemed to be bridled, conditional and reflective.
Humans and dogs started their mutual co-existence some 15 to 20 thousand years ago. DNA samples taken from feral dogs have traced their linage to the Mongolian and Nepal wolves. Humans living in this region were hunters and gatherers. Simply stated, humans and wolves developed a mutual sustaining relationship. Carbon dated to be 10 to 15 thousand years old, pictographs in European caves depict wolf-like animals clustered among humans who appeared to be hunting “game” animals.
Throughout our western states, there are pictographs with similar caricatures. The western states pictographs suggest that the human-wolf bond existed during the migration across the land barrier connecting the Asian and North American continents. After their arrival, their migration is well documented as humans and “wolves” started to populate the western portion of North America and throughout what is now Mexico, Central America, and South America.
I remember reading an article that humans and cats began their co-existence during the Macedonian era some three to five thousand years ago. Today’s “house cat” or domestic cat lineage, according to this article, has been traced back to feral cats that lived throughout the European and North African continents. The article also suggested that the co-existence was mutually beneficial. The cats lived in the outbuildings and preyed on the rodents. Then sometime during the decline of the Macedonian empire the cats started to live with humans in the human’s residences.
It was the ancient Egyptians who brought the cat into temples and eventually bestowed a deity upon them. The highest deity was Bastet, a goddess that the ancients prayed to for protection especially during times of chaos and war. The ancient Egyptians considered Bastet to be the daughter of their principle god, the sun god Ra. They built a temple especially for her in Bubastes with priests serving at the temple and collecting tithes from the worshipers.
Perhaps that is why today’s domestic cat is so haughty and independent. They know that they were once worshipped as gods and they don’t want humans to forget.
*****
Gary Lyon, a longtime Warsaw resident, is a retiree who has developed a sanctimonious pragmatist viewpoint from his life’s experiences. You can send comments to him through Facebook. Request to be added as a friend of Gary Lyon, Warsaw, Ind. He will do his best to respond to comments or suggestions.[[In-content Ad]]
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