Simon Mattacks
speaker
2,981 appearances
17 recordings
3 series
first heard Dec 2024
last heard 13 Sep
Simon Mattacks’s voice in public audio — every appearance, attributed to the second.
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recordings per month · last 12 monthsRecordings per month over the last 12 months — 14 in all, peaking in Aug 2026 with 3.
Appearances
Now, let's move west to Persia, or modern-day Iran.
Here, archaeologists discovered images etched in stone showing kings being shaded by umbrellas which were held by servants.
In neighboring Mesopotamia, now Iraq, carved bas-reliefs and sculptures also depicted them.
Once again, holding and carrying the umbrella was usually the task of servants.
They spent long hours in the scorching heat, shading royalty from the sun's powerful rays.
As in parts of Asia, umbrellas in Mesopotamia were seen as symbols of power and divine protection.
On the African continent, in ancient Egypt, the umbrella has existed since at least 1200 BCE, and possibly much earlier.
Early Egyptian umbrellas were likely made of wood, with canopies made from palm leaves or ostrich feathers.
But the umbrella was much more than just a practical sunshade.
It was steeped in mythology.
The ancient Egyptians believed that the sky was shaped by Nut, the goddess of the heavens, who touched the Earth only with her fingers and toes.
Together with her companion Shu, she created a pattern of stars that resembled a giant umbrella in the night sky.
Across the Mediterranean Sea in Greece,
the umbrella became a daily accessory for women.
The weather was hot, and carrying an umbrella or parasol helped to shade delicate skin from the sun.
Here, it was known as a skiadeion, and it was associated with fashionable women of wealth and high standing.
Parasols were not as popular with Greek men,
They found the accessory to be feminine, and many refused to use it.
However, this resistance was short-lived, as they began to see the benefits.
The umbrella was used in festivals such as the Feast of Athena Skyris, where a white parasol was carried by the priestess.
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