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Japan: Japanese propaganda woodcut print showing Tsar Nicholas II waking from a nightmare of the battered and wounded Russian forces returning from battle. By Kobayashi Kiyochika (1847-1915), c. 1904-1905, Library of Congress. The Russo-Japanese War (8 February 1904 – 5 September 1905) was the first great war of the 20th century and grew out of the competing imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea.
Maximilian I (22 March 1459 – 12 January 1519), the son of Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor, and Eleanor of Portugal, was King of the Romans (also known as King of the Germans) from 1486 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1508 until his death, though he was never in fact crowned by the Pope, the journey to Rome always being too risky.<br/><br/> He had ruled jointly with his father for the last ten years of his father's reign, from c. 1483. He expanded the influence of the House of Habsburg through war and his marriage in 1477 to Mary of Burgundy, the heiress to the Duchy of Burgundy, but he also lost the Austrian territories in today's Switzerland to the Swiss Confederacy.
Maximilian I (22 March 1459 – 12 January 1519), the son of Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor, and Eleanor of Portugal, was King of the Romans (also known as King of the Germans) from 1486 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1508 until his death, though he was never in fact crowned by the Pope, the journey to Rome always being too risky.<br/><br/> He had ruled jointly with his father for the last ten years of his father's reign, from c. 1483. He expanded the influence of the House of Habsburg through war and his marriage in 1477 to Mary of Burgundy, the heiress to the Duchy of Burgundy, but he also lost the Austrian territories in today's Switzerland to the Swiss Confederacy.
Maximilian I (22 March 1459 – 12 January 1519), the son of Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor, and Eleanor of Portugal, was King of the Romans (also known as King of the Germans) from 1486 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1508 until his death, though he was never in fact crowned by the Pope, the journey to Rome always being too risky.<br/><br/> He had ruled jointly with his father for the last ten years of his father's reign, from c. 1483. He expanded the influence of the House of Habsburg through war and his marriage in 1477 to Mary of Burgundy, the heiress to the Duchy of Burgundy, but he also lost the Austrian territories in today's Switzerland to the Swiss Confederacy.
Maximilian I (22 March 1459 – 12 January 1519), the son of Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor, and Eleanor of Portugal, was King of the Romans (also known as King of the Germans) from 1486 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1508 until his death, though he was never in fact crowned by the Pope, the journey to Rome always being too risky.<br/><br/> He had ruled jointly with his father for the last ten years of his father's reign, from c. 1483. He expanded the influence of the House of Habsburg through war and his marriage in 1477 to Mary of Burgundy, the heiress to the Duchy of Burgundy, but he also lost the Austrian territories in today's Switzerland to the Swiss Confederacy.
Maximilian I (22 March 1459 – 12 January 1519), the son of Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor, and Eleanor of Portugal, was King of the Romans (also known as King of the Germans) from 1486 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1508 until his death, though he was never in fact crowned by the Pope, the journey to Rome always being too risky.<br/><br/> He had ruled jointly with his father for the last ten years of his father's reign, from c. 1483. He expanded the influence of the House of Habsburg through war and his marriage in 1477 to Mary of Burgundy, the heiress to the Duchy of Burgundy, but he also lost the Austrian territories in today's Switzerland to the Swiss Confederacy.
Frederick III (1415-1493), also known as Frederick the Fat and Frederick the Peaceful, was the eldest son of the Inner Austrian duke Ernest the Iron, a member of the Habsburg dynasty. He became duke of Inner Austria in 1424 at the age of nine, but would not be awarded rule until 1435, with his younger brother Albert asserting his rights as co-ruler. By 1439, Frederick had become the undisputed head of the Habsburg dynasty.<br/><br/> Frederick died in 1493, aged 77, bleeding to death after having his infected left leg amputated.
Albert II (1397-1439), also known as Albert of Germany and Albert the Magnanimous, was the son of Albert IV, Duke of Austria, succeeding his father at the age of seven in 1404, though he did not become the proper governor of Austria until 1411. Albert married Elisabeth of Luxembourg, heiress of Emperor Sigismund, in 1422.<br/><br/> Albert assisted his father-in-law during the Hussite Wars, and was in turn named as successor in 1423. When Sigismund died in 1437, Albert was crowned King of Hungary a year later. He was crowned King of Bohemia six months afterwards, though he did not obtain actual possession of the country, and was forced to wage war against the Bohemians and their Polish allies. The crown of Germany was given to him in 1438.<br/><br/> Albert died in 1439 while defending Hungary from a Turkish invasion, and despite his short reign was known for being an energetic and warlike prince. He was also known for his harsh treatment of Austria's Jewish community, imprisoning and forcibly converting them or expelling them from Austria. Albert sentenced many Jews to death, burning them at the stake in 1421, destroying their synagogue in Vienna and placing an 'eternal ban' on them.
Justinian I (482-565), also known as Justinian the Great or Saint Justinian the Great, was the nephew of Emperor Justin I, originally born from a peasant family in Tauresium. Justin, before he became emperor, adopted Justinian and raised him in Constantinople. Justinian served in the Imperial Guard, the Excubitors, just as his uncle had, and was made associate emperor in 527 before becoming sole emperor when Justin died in the same year.<br/><br/> Justinian was ambitious and clever, and sought to revive the empire's greatness, planning the reconquest of the western half of the Roman Empire in what was known as 'renovatio imperii' (restoration of the Empire). Justinian was hard-working and known as 'the emperor who never sleeps'. He nearly lost his throne during the Nika riots, and nearly lost his life during the Justinian Plague of the early 540s.<br/><br/> Justinian was a devout Christian and theologian, and his partial recovery of lost Roman territories led him to be called by some as one of the 'last Romans'. His uniform rewriting of Roman law, the 'Corpus Juris Civilis' is perhaps his greatest legacy, which is still used as the basis of civil law in many modern nations. His restoration activities included the building of the Hagia Sophia. He died in 565 without an heir, succeeded by his nephew Justin II.
Fuxi, alongside his wife/sister Nuwa, was an important deity in Chinese mythology and folk religion. Like his sister, he is often depicted with serpentine qualities, sometimes with the upper body of a man and the lower body of a snake or just a human head on a snake's body. He is counted as the first of the Three Sovereigns at the beginning of the Chinese dynastic period.<br/><br/> After Pangu created the universe and the world, he birthed a powerful being known as Hua Hsu, who in turn birthed the twins Fuxi and Nuwa. They were said to be the 'original humans', and together they forged humanity out of clay. They subsequently became two of the Three Emperors in the early patriarchal society in China (c. 2,600 BCE). Fuxi also invented hunting, fishing and cooking, teaching these skills to humanity, as well as creating the Cangjie system of writing and marriage rituals.<br/><br/> Fuxi is still considered to this day as one of the most important primogenitors of Chinese civilisation and culture, and is considered the originator of the 'I Ching'. Fuxi was said to have died after living for 197 years in a place called Chen (modern Huaiyang), where there is now a monument to him which has become a popular tourist attraction.
The 'Road to Canossa', sometimes called the 'Walk to Canossa' or 'Humiliation of Canossa', refers to Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV's trek to Canossa Castle, Italy, where Pope Gregory VII was staying as the guest of Margravine Matilda of Tuscany, at the height of the investiture controversy in January 1077 to seek absolution of his excommunication.<br/><br/> According to contemporary sources, he was forced to humiliate himself on his knees waiting for three days and three nights before the entrance gate of the castle, while a blizzard raged.
Massage in Chinese Traditional Medicine is known as An Mo (pressing and rubbing) or Qigong Massage, and is the foundation of Japan's Anma massage. Categories include Pu Tong An Mo (general massage), Tui Na An Mo (pushing and grasping massage), Dian Xue An Mo (cavity pressing massage), and Qi An Mo (energy massage).<br/><br/> Tui na focuses on pushing, stretching, and kneading muscles, and Zhi Ya focuses on pinching and pressing at acupressure points. Technique such as friction and vibration are used as well.
Maximilian I (22 March 1459 – 12 January 1519), the son of Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor, and Eleanor of Portugal, was King of the Romans (also known as King of the Germans) from 1486 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1508 until his death, though he was never in fact crowned by the Pope, the journey to Rome always being too risky.<br/><br/> He had ruled jointly with his father for the last ten years of his father's reign, from c. 1483. He expanded the influence of the House of Habsburg through war and his marriage in 1477 to Mary of Burgundy, the heiress to the Duchy of Burgundy, but he also lost the Austrian territories in today's Switzerland to the Swiss Confederacy.
The Story of the Western Wing or <i>Xixixiang Ji</i>, also translated as Romance of the Western Chamber, is one of the most famous Chinese dramatic works. It was written by the Yuan dynasty playwright Wang Shifu, and set during the Tang dynasty (618-907).<br/><br/> it is the story of a young couple consummating their love without parental approval, and has been seen both as a 'lover's bible' and 'potentially dangerous', as readers were considered in danger of pining away under its influence.
Massage in Chinese Traditional Medicine is known as An Mo (pressing and rubbing) or Qigong Massage, and is the foundation of Japan's Anma massage. Categories include Pu Tong An Mo (general massage), Tui Na An Mo (pushing and grasping massage), Dian Xue An Mo (cavity pressing massage), and Qi An Mo (energy massage).<br/><br/> Tui na focuses on pushing, stretching, and kneading muscles, and Zhi Ya focuses on pinching and pressing at acupressure points. Technique such as friction and vibration are used as well.
Massage in Chinese Traditional Medicine is known as An Mo (pressing and rubbing) or Qigong Massage, and is the foundation of Japan's Anma massage. Categories include Pu Tong An Mo (general massage), Tui Na An Mo (pushing and grasping massage), Dian Xue An Mo (cavity pressing massage), and Qi An Mo (energy massage).<br/><br/> Tui na focuses on pushing, stretching, and kneading muscles, and Zhi Ya focuses on pinching and pressing at acupressure points. Technique such as friction and vibration are used as well.
Ohara Koson (Kanazawa 1877 – Tokyo 1945) was a Japanese painter and print designer of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, part of the <i>shin-hanga</i> ('new prints') movement.
Massage in Chinese Traditional Medicine is known as An Mo (pressing and rubbing) or Qigong Massage, and is the foundation of Japan's Anma massage. Categories include Pu Tong An Mo (general massage), Tui Na An Mo (pushing and grasping massage), Dian Xue An Mo (cavity pressing massage), and Qi An Mo (energy massage).<br/><br/> Tui na focuses on pushing, stretching, and kneading muscles, and Zhi Ya focuses on pinching and pressing at acupressure points. Technique such as friction and vibration are used as well.
Rudolf I (1218-1291), also known as Rudolf of Habsburg, was the son of Count Albert IV of Habsburg, and became count after his father's death in 1239. His godfather was Emperor Frederick II, to whom he paid frequent court visits. Rudolf ended the Great Interregnum that had engulfed the Holy Roman Empire after the death of Frederick when he was elected as King of Germany in 1273.<br/><br/> Rudolf secured the recognition of the Pope by promising to launch a new crusade and renouncing all imperial rights to Rome, the papal territories and Sicily. His main opponent was King Ottokar II of Bohemia, who had refused to acknowledge Rudolf as King of Germany. War was declared against Ottokar in 1276, and he was defeated and killed in 1278 during the Battle on the Marchfeld.<br/><br/> Rudolf was ultimately not entirely successful in restoring internal peace throughout the Holy Roman Empire, lacking the power, resources and determination to truly enforce his established land peaces, with the princes largely left to their own devices. He died in 1291, establishing the powerful Habsburg dynasty but unable to ensure the succession of his son Albert as German king.
Massage in Chinese Traditional Medicine is known as An Mo (pressing and rubbing) or Qigong Massage, and is the foundation of Japan's Anma massage. Categories include Pu Tong An Mo (general massage), Tui Na An Mo (pushing and grasping massage), Dian Xue An Mo (cavity pressing massage), and Qi An Mo (energy massage).<br/><br/> Tui na focuses on pushing, stretching, and kneading muscles, and Zhi Ya focuses on pinching and pressing at acupressure points. Technique such as friction and vibration are used as well.
This is one of a celebrated series of small woodcuts that Holbein designed on the theme of Death. In the words of Christian Rümelin: 'Death is depicted in several guises in these illustrations, ranging from the murderous agent (of the monk, merchant, chandler, rich man, knight, earl and nobleman) to the warning commentator (of the pope, emperor, cardinal, judge, alderman, lawyer, and preacher)'.<br/><br/> Members of society are mostly portrayed in a situation designed to criticise a specific type of behaviour 'such as the corruption of the judge, the vanity of the canon, the acquisitiveness of the rich man and the merchant'. The series adapts the tradition of the medieval Danse Macabre (Dance of Death) as the basis for a new and original sequence. It also relates to the imagery of French illuminated Books of Hours and poetical traditions. 'The scenes are the customary illustrations in which Death appears in the form of a skeleton'.
Maximilian I (22 March 1459 – 12 January 1519), the son of Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor, and Eleanor of Portugal, was King of the Romans (also known as King of the Germans) from 1486 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1508 until his death, though he was never in fact crowned by the Pope, the journey to Rome always being too risky.<br/><br/> He had ruled jointly with his father for the last ten years of his father's reign, from c. 1483. He expanded the influence of the House of Habsburg through war and his marriage in 1477 to Mary of Burgundy, the heiress to the Duchy of Burgundy, but he also lost the Austrian territories in today's Switzerland to the Swiss Confederacy.
Massage in Chinese Traditional Medicine is known as An Mo (pressing and rubbing) or Qigong Massage, and is the foundation of Japan's Anma massage. Categories include Pu Tong An Mo (general massage), Tui Na An Mo (pushing and grasping massage), Dian Xue An Mo (cavity pressing massage), and Qi An Mo (energy massage).<br/><br/> Tui na focuses on pushing, stretching, and kneading muscles, and Zhi Ya focuses on pinching and pressing at acupressure points. Technique such as friction and vibration are used as well.
This is one of a celebrated series of small woodcuts that Holbein designed on the theme of Death. In the words of Christian Rümelin: 'Death is depicted in several guises in these illustrations, ranging from the murderous agent (of the monk, merchant, chandler, rich man, knight, earl and nobleman) to the warning commentator (of the pope, emperor, cardinal, judge, alderman, lawyer, and preacher)'.<br/><br/> Members of society are mostly portrayed in a situation designed to criticise a specific type of behaviour 'such as the corruption of the judge, the vanity of the canon, the acquisitiveness of the rich man and the merchant'. The series adapts the tradition of the medieval Danse Macabre (Dance of Death) as the basis for a new and original sequence. It also relates to the imagery of French illuminated Books of Hours and poetical traditions. 'The scenes are the customary illustrations in which Death appears in the form of a skeleton'.
Sodom and Gomorrah were cities mentioned in the Book of Genesis and throughout the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament and in deuterocanonical sources, as well as in the Qur'an.<br/><br/> Divine judgment by God was passed upon Sodom and Gomorrah and two neighboring cities, which were completely consumed by fire and brimstone. In Abrahamic religions, Sodom and Gomorrah have become synonymous with impenitent sin, and their fall with a proverbial manifestation of divine retribution.<br/><br/> Sodom and Gomorrah have been used as metaphors for vice and homosexuality viewed as a deviation. The story has therefore given rise to words in several languages, including the English word sodomy, used in sodomy laws to describe a sexual 'crime against nature'.<br/><br/> The historicity of Sodom and Gomorrah is still in dispute by archaeologists, as little archaeological evidence has ever been found in the regions where they were supposedly situated.
AbÅ« Ê¿AlÄ« al-Ḥusayn ibn Ê¿Abd AllÄh ibn SÄ«nÄ (Persian پورسينا Pur-e Sina [ˈpuËre ˈsiËnÉ‘Ë] 'son of Sina'; c. 980, Afshana near Bukhara– 1037, Hamadan, Iran), commonly known as Ibn SÄ«nÄ or by his Latinized name Avicenna, was a Persian polymath, who wrote almost 450 treatises on a wide range of subjects, of which around 240 have survived. In particular, 150 of his surviving treatises concentrate on philosophy and 40 of them concentrate on medicine.<br/><br/> His most famous works are 'The Book of Healing', a vast philosophical and scientific encyclopaedia, and 'The Canon of Medicine', which was a standard medical text at many medieval universities. 'The Canon of Medicine' was used as a text-book in the universities of Montpellier and Leuven as late as 1650. Ibn SÄ«nÄ's 'Canon of Medicine' provides a complete system of medicine according to the principles of Galen (and Hippocrates).<br/><br/> His corpus also includes writing on philosophy, astronomy, alchemy, geology, psychology, Islamic theology, logic, mathematics, physics, as well as poetry. He is regarded as the most famous and influential polymath of the Islamic Golden Age.
A scene from the account of the Greek historian Herodotus, who records that Queen Tomyris of the Massagetae defeated Cyrus the Great in battle and ordered his corpse to be beheaded.
The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, peaking in Europe between 1348 and 1350. Of several competing theories, the dominant explanation for the Black Death is the plague theory, which attributes the outbreak to the bacterium Yersinia pestis.<br/><br/> Thought to have started in China, it travelled along the Silk Road and reached the Crimea by 1346. From there, probably carried by Oriental rat fleas living on the black rats that were regular passengers on merchant ships, it spread throughout the Mediterranean and Europe.<br/><br/> The Black Death is estimated to have killed 30–60 percent of Europe's population, reducing the world's population from an estimated 450 million to between 350 and 375 million in the 14th century.<br/><br/> The aftermath of the plague created a series of religious, social and economic upheavals, which had profound effects on the course of European history. It took 150 years for Europe's population to recover. The plague returned at various times, killing more people, until it died out in Europe in the 19th century.
This is one of a celebrated series of small woodcuts that Holbein designed on the theme of Death. In the words of Christian Rümelin: 'Death is depicted in several guises in these illustrations, ranging from the murderous agent (of the monk, merchant, chandler, rich man, knight, earl and nobleman) to the warning commentator (of the pope, emperor, cardinal, judge, alderman, lawyer, and preacher)'.<br/><br/> Members of society are mostly portrayed in a situation designed to criticise a specific type of behaviour 'such as the corruption of the judge, the vanity of the canon, the acquisitiveness of the rich man and the merchant'. The series adapts the tradition of the medieval Danse Macabre (Dance of Death) as the basis for a new and original sequence. It also relates to the imagery of French illuminated Books of Hours and poetical traditions. 'The scenes are the customary illustrations in which Death appears in the form of a skeleton'.
The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, peaking in Europe between 1348 and 1350. Of several competing theories, the dominant explanation for the Black Death is the plague theory, which attributes the outbreak to the bacterium Yersinia pestis.<br/><br/> Thought to have started in China, it travelled along the Silk Road and reached the Crimea by 1346. From there, probably carried by Oriental rat fleas living on the black rats that were regular passengers on merchant ships, it spread throughout the Mediterranean and Europe.<br/><br/> The Black Death is estimated to have killed 30–60 percent of Europe's population, reducing the world's population from an estimated 450 million to between 350 and 375 million in the 14th century.<br/><br/> The aftermath of the plague created a series of religious, social and economic upheavals, which had profound effects on the course of European history. It took 150 years for Europe's population to recover. The plague returned at various times, killing more people, until it died out in Europe in the 19th century.
The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, peaking in Europe between 1348 and 1350. Of several competing theories, the dominant explanation for the Black Death is the plague theory, which attributes the outbreak to the bacterium Yersinia pestis.<br/><br/> Thought to have started in China, it travelled along the Silk Road and reached the Crimea by 1346. From there, probably carried by Oriental rat fleas living on the black rats that were regular passengers on merchant ships, it spread throughout the Mediterranean and Europe.<br/><br/> The Black Death is estimated to have killed 30–60 percent of Europe's population, reducing the world's population from an estimated 450 million to between 350 and 375 million in the 14th century.<br/><br/> The aftermath of the plague created a series of religious, social and economic upheavals, which had profound effects on the course of European history. It took 150 years for Europe's population to recover. The plague returned at various times, killing more people, until it died out in Europe in the 19th century.
Bernard of Clairvaux, O.Cist (1090 – August 20, 1153) was a French abbot and the primary builder of the reforming Cistercian order.<br/><br/> After the death of his mother, Bernard sought admission into the Cistercian order. Three years later, he was sent to found a new abbey at an isolated clearing in a glen known as the Val d'Absinthe, about 15 km southeast of Bar-sur-Aube. According to tradition, Bernard founded the monastery on 25 June 1115, naming it Claire Vallée, which evolved into Clairvaux. There Bernard would preach an immediate faith, in which the intercessor was the Virgin Mary. <br/><br/> In the year 1128, Bernard assisted at the Council of Troyes, at which he traced the outlines of the Rule of the Knights Templar, who soon became the ideal of Christian nobility.
This illustration was published in the journal of Captain Wybrant Warwijck of the Dutch East Indies Company in 1604. Female guards and bodyguards were common in the court of Iskandar Muda, the 12th Sultan of Aceh (c. 1583 - 1636). He created an elite guard consisting of 3,000 women.<br/><br/> Aceh is located on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra. It is thought to have been in Aceh where Islam was first established in Southeast Asia. In the early 17th century the Sultanate of Aceh was the most wealthy, powerful and cultivated state in the Malacca Straits region. Aceh province now has the highest proportion of Muslims in Indonesia and has regional levels of Sharia law.<br/><br/> Aceh has a history of political independence and fierce resistance to control by outsiders, including the former Dutch colonists and the Indonesian government. Aceh has substantial natural resources, including oil and natural gas—some estimates put Aceh gas reserves as being the largest in the world.
The burning bush is an object described by the Book of Exodus (3:1-21) as being located on Mount Sinai; according to the narrative, the bush was on fire, but was not consumed by the flames, hence the name.<br/><br/> In the narrative, the burning bush is the location at which Moses was appointed by God to lead the Israelites out of Egypt and into Canaan.
Albrecht Dürer (21 May 1471 – 6 April 1528) was a German painter, printmaker and theorist from Nuremberg. His prints established his reputation across Europe when he was still in his twenties, and he has been conventionally regarded as the greatest artist of the Northern Renaissance ever since. Dürer's introduction of classical motifs into Northern art, through his knowledge of Italian artists and German humanists, have secured his reputation as one of the most important figures of the Northern Renaissance. This is reinforced by his theoretical treatises, which involve principles of mathematics, perspective and ideal proportions.
Macau was both the first and last European colony in China. In 1535, Portuguese traders obtained rights to anchor ships in Macau's harbours and to trade, though not the right to stay onshore. Around 1552–53, they obtained permission to erect temporary storage sheds on the island and built small houses. In 1557, the Portuguese established a permanent settlement in Macau, paying an annual rent of 500 taels of silver. Macau soon became the major trafficking point for Chinese slaves, and many Chinese boys were captured in China, and sold in Lisbon or Brazil. Portugal administered the region until its handover to China on 20 December 1999. It is now best known for casinos and gambling.
Oiran (花é­) were the courtesans of Edo period Japan. The oiran were considered a type of yÅ«jo (éŠå¥³) 'woman of pleasure' or prostitute. However, they were distinguished from the yÅ«jo in that they were entertainers, and many became celebrities of their times outside the pleasure districts. Their art and fashions often set trends among the wealthy and, because of this, cultural aspects of oiran traditions continue to be preserved to this day.<br/><br/> The oiran arose in the Edo period (1600–1868). At this time, laws were passed restricting brothels to walled districts set some distance from the city center. In the major cities these were the Shimabara in Kyoto, the Shinmachi in Osaka, and the Yoshiwara in Edo (present-day Tokyo).<br/><br/> These rapidly grew into large, self-contained 'pleasure quarters' offering all manner of entertainments. Within, a courtesan’s birth rank held no distinction, which was fortunate considering many of the courtesans originated as the daughters of impoverished families who were sold into this lifestyle as indentured servants. Instead, they were categorized based on their beauty, character, education, and artistic ability.<br/><br/> Among the oiran, the tayÅ« (太夫) was considered the highest rank of courtesan and were considered suitable for the daimyo or feudal lords. In the mid-1700s courtesan rankings began to disappear and courtesans of all classes were collectively known simply as 'oiran'.<br/><br/> The word oiran comes from the Japanese phrase oira no tokoro no nÄ“san (ãŠã„らã®æ‰€ã®å§‰ã•) which translates as 'my elder sister'. When written in Japanese, it consists of two kanji, 花 meaning 'flower', and é­ meaning 'leader' or 'first', hence 'Leading Flower' or 'First Flower'.
Bernard of Clairvaux, O.Cist (1090 – August 20, 1153) was a French abbot and the primary builder of the reforming Cistercian order.<br/><br/> After the death of his mother, Bernard sought admission into the Cistercian order. Three years later, he was sent to found a new abbey at an isolated clearing in a glen known as the Val d'Absinthe, about 15 km southeast of Bar-sur-Aube. According to tradition, Bernard founded the monastery on 25 June 1115, naming it Claire Vallée, which evolved into Clairvaux. There Bernard would preach an immediate faith, in which the intercessor was the Virgin Mary. <br/><br/> In the year 1128, Bernard assisted at the Council of Troyes, at which he traced the outlines of the Rule of the Knights Templar, who soon became the ideal of Christian nobility.