I ran across something intresting in a book I am reading called 3,5,7 by John Bowe refering to the origins of the cerimony of the northeast corner and I thought it intresting enough to share as I had never heard this before.
"In order to catch the first rays of the rising sun, the building facees the east, ans as the sun rises to the hieght of its stregth on June 21, the day of the summer soltice, and as, at this paticular time the sune rises in the northeast and sets in the northwest to emblematically represent and mark the place of the summer solstice the cornerstone must be laid in the northeast corner of the proposed building. Then due care being taken to establish the proper angle, the southeast corner would, as a consequence be in an exact line with the point of the horizon at which the sun rose at the winter solstice."
The northeast corner was a clock of sorts when the sun rose in direct line with it, harvest was close and when inline with the southeast corner it was time to mend the soil for planting next season. In ancient times everyone was just about farmers, you had to farm to eat and I can only imagine the connection that primitive man made to the sun but I gaurentee when man realized the exact time the days started to get longer , they where elated to this fact as to be comforted to know the Sun is coming back. They made this day and the longest day, days of super celebration as the sun was a giver of givers keeping them with food, warmth and overall physical comfort but in short days of the cold months I bet the sun was sorley missed. Ancient Man living in a cabin or hut on a cold night left to the last of his rations had plenty of time to contemplate the impotance of the sun; so when the time came and the days begin to get longer they saw no better reason to be happy, celebrate and comemorate this time in everyway.
"In order to catch the first rays of the rising sun, the building facees the east, ans as the sun rises to the hieght of its stregth on June 21, the day of the summer soltice, and as, at this paticular time the sune rises in the northeast and sets in the northwest to emblematically represent and mark the place of the summer solstice the cornerstone must be laid in the northeast corner of the proposed building. Then due care being taken to establish the proper angle, the southeast corner would, as a consequence be in an exact line with the point of the horizon at which the sun rose at the winter solstice."
The northeast corner was a clock of sorts when the sun rose in direct line with it, harvest was close and when inline with the southeast corner it was time to mend the soil for planting next season. In ancient times everyone was just about farmers, you had to farm to eat and I can only imagine the connection that primitive man made to the sun but I gaurentee when man realized the exact time the days started to get longer , they where elated to this fact as to be comforted to know the Sun is coming back. They made this day and the longest day, days of super celebration as the sun was a giver of givers keeping them with food, warmth and overall physical comfort but in short days of the cold months I bet the sun was sorley missed. Ancient Man living in a cabin or hut on a cold night left to the last of his rations had plenty of time to contemplate the impotance of the sun; so when the time came and the days begin to get longer they saw no better reason to be happy, celebrate and comemorate this time in everyway.
