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Talk:Knock-knock joke

Early posts
To my knowledge, the "knock knock" joke was originated by my late uncle, Bob Dunn, who was a nationally syndicated cartoonist ("They'll Do It Every Time", "Little Iodine", etc.)....

Somebody a few edits ago added the "missing lines" to the Dr. Who joke, and I took them back out again, so I feel the need to explain myself. I think leaving them out entirely is more illustrative in how knock-knock jokes, while usually following a specific structure, may have the structure broken for extra effect. Even though it was noted that the two lines were only in some variations, since they were put in the joke itself where the "missing" lines "belonged", it loses its punch.

Of course, the point is to write an article, not tell a funny joke, but I prefer to let the effectiveness of the device to speak for itself.

--Furrykef 10:32, 7 Mar 2004 (UTC)

 * The Dr. Who joke is no longer in the article as of this date, but it is interesting that all of Dr. Who is kind of a running variation on the knock-knock joke. "Who's that?" "It's the Doctor!" ... But nobody ever asks, 'Doctor Who?" Regarding knock-knock jokes in countries other than the USA, the movie "They Made Me a Fugitive" from 1947 has a character knocking twice on a coffin within which a person is hiding, and the person within says, "Who's there?" "Arthur." "Arthur who?" "Our thermometer." as if to check that the person is still alive. 173.174.85.204 (talk) 21:46, 25 June 2017 (UTC) Eric

 * I noticed that my talk appeared withing Furrykef's talk so I moved it below. 173.174.85.204 (talk) 21:51, 25 June 2017 (UTC) Eric

Can someone explain the Gibraltar joke? (I explained my Grape joke) -- Leonard G. 03:53, 1 Oct 2004 (UTC)
 * Knock Knock. Who's there? Ko-po. Ko-po who? Ko-po there a Deq on my Uji? I suspect the anonymous editor who put this in was playing a joke of his own; his five edits (Special:Contributions/219.77.73.223) were all made within one 31-minute period, and the other four were all nonsense.  This one probably was too. --Metropolitan90 June 29, 2005 05:34 (UTC)

This is an informative entry (as the joke's format isn't known in Brazil, for example), but the creation date and/or first records of the knock-knock joke are missing; the "time-honored" part made me wonder. -- Calebe 14:41, 2004 Oct 19 (UTC)

In spain there is a very similar kind of jokes, they use to be about placing orders in a restaurant: Camarero, camarero. Una de mero ... Una de mero, dos de febrero, tres de marzo cuatro de abril ... which is a pun about a kind of fish and a popular song of "San Fermines" party

Wikibooks
There is now a Joke book on Wikibooks. Please consider whether parts of this article should moved and/or copied to that project. Rossami (talk) 05:28, 1 Dec 2004 (UTC)

I've got another one.

 * Knock knock.
 * Who's there?
 * Taupo.
 * Taupo who?
 * Taupo Laa-Laa wants her.
 * (Tell Po Laa-Laa wants her.)

Should this go into the article or Joke book?

I've got another one.

 * Knock knock.
 * Who's there?
 * Bee.
 * Bee who?
 * You should "Bee" in bed

Should this go into the article or Joke book? Scott Gall 04:57, 2005 Apr 11 (UTC)

I invented this "prank" knock knock joke as a small child, although i wouldn't be surprised if others have done the same. It's supposed to go like this:

 * Knock knock.
 * Who's there?
 * Knock knock.
 * Knock knock who?
 * Knock knock joke!

But many people never realize they should reply with "Knock knock who?", and keep repeating "Who's there?" until they give up. --Anomie 17:05, 18 Jun 2005 (UTC)

 * Unfortunately, this is endless. It's just as endless as music genres and racial slurs. I suggest that all jokes should be in the "jokebook" except a few examples in the article. I've made up knock-knock jokes as an adult. It just happens when you've been in the USA all your life. "Knock-knock." "Who's there?" "Tyrone." "Tyrone who?" "Tyrone-asaurus rex, RAAARRR!!" 173.174.85.204 (talk) 22:32, 25 June 2017 (UTC) Eric

Deletion of the Jokebook
Jimbo Wales has announced that he will be deleting the Jokebook from Wikibooks within 24 hours. See Wikibooks:Staff lounge. Uncle G 16:30, 14 November 2005 (UTC)

what happened to the knock knock joke from flowers for algernon?

Copyvio ?
Is the appearance of Shel Silverstein's joke subject to "Fair Use"? Mdotley 16:58, 21 September 2006 (UTC)
 * Ya know, I was gonna ask the same thing. I don't think it is.  But I'm not sure.  Is it better to be safe rather then sorry and remove it?  Or maybe just cut it down to a few illustrative lines rather then the entire poem?  ~ ONUnicorn (Talk / Contribs) 13:35, 13 October 2006 (UTC)
 * If the poem had been published as a standalone, there would be no question that it's a copyvio. But since it is only a small part of a book, I'm not sure what rules apply. Mdotley 21:22, 19 October 2006 (UTC)

Jokebook
This article is starting to turn into a jokebook. I reverted the last few additions, but I think that we, the editors, need to come to some consensus about an appropriate number of examples to illustrate the concept. Mdotley 21:24, 19 October 2006 (UTC)

C'mon, liven up. Don't be a spoil sport. please :-(. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Special:Contributions/ (talk)

Mdotley is right. This article is nowhere near being an encyclopaedia article. There's plenty of source material to be found on the subject of knock-knock jokes, such as articles by Neal R. Norrick in the International Journal of Humor Research (and the Journal of Pragmatics) and research by folklorists into the cycle. This article hardly covers any of the territory covered in the literature, is wholly unsourced, and contains several paragraphs that are apparently original research. The several long lists of "variations" and "more variants" that have no accompanying analysis give it all the appearance of being an excuse to write a joke book in the middle of the encyclopaedia. There are plenty of places that have the aim of collecting as many knock-knock jokes as possible into a list. Wikipedia is not one of them. Wikipedia is an encyclopaedia. Uncle G 11:15, 15 January 2007 (UTC)

 * So, what can we do about it? ~ MD Otley (talk) 15:08, 14 September 2007 (UTC)

 * I'm satisfied with the development of this article, and will remove it from my watchlist. ~ MD Otley (talk) 14:44, 7 January 2014 (UTC)

Orange
I find Aunt works much better. The second joke is adjusted slightly:
 * Knock, knock!
 * Who's there?
 * Granny. Knock, knock!
 * Who's there?
 * Granny. Knock, knock!
 * Who's there?
 * Aunt.
 * Aunt who?
 * Aunt you glad I got rid of the Grannies?

--80.175.250.218 16:40, 17 August 2007 (UTC)
 * Doesn't work so well if you pronounce "Aunt" like "ant," as most Americans do. Kostaki mou (talk) 15:53, 28 August 2019 (UTC)

Language
This kind of format for this joke is not popular in Spanish speaking countries. FYI —Preceding unsigned comment added by Camilo Sanchez (talk • contribs) 19:32, 17 October 2007 (UTC)

I think it would be great if someone more fluent than I could translate the essence of the article into Spanish. My students keep asking about these jokes, and are never satisfied by my explanations. An actual knock-knock joke in Spanish would probably be necessary, but I've never heard one... yet. -Joshua Clement Broyles —Preceding unsigned comment added by 190.25.46.154 (talk) 00:16, 27 October 2010 (UTC)

History
The earliest reference to Knock Knock jokes in the article is from the early 50's however, Spike Jones song "Knock Knock (who's there)" which is a prescriptive procedure on knock knock jokes complete with examples was recorded in the 1940's. I have no idea if Spike invented the genre or was inspired by it, but I believe that his recording preceeds other mentions of the history of the knock knock joke.

StateOfTheUnion 10:50, 23 October 2007 (UTC)

Hindi "khat-khat"
I added a reference to "khat-khat" jokes in hindi now heard on radio channels in India. Sorry it smacks of OR, but I it's hard to get references.  Amit @  Talk  16:02, 27 October 2007 (UTC)

I don't get it.
Or maybe I just don't see the humour. I believe this is relevant because I have read the article and I would say the article should make it clear to me what kind of joke this is. It would appear that after "who's there" you say a name, which the recipient repeats followed by "who?" which the punster answers with a completely unrelated sentence that includes the name or a word that sounds a bit like the name. I am from the Netherlands and this joke doesn't seem to be very popular here (at least not where I live) which might explain why I don't get it, but usually I have no big issues understanding humour in English. And since this joke appears to be very popular, I have the feeling there must be more to it, if that is so maybe that could be explained in the article.W3ird N3rd (talk) 02:00, 20 December 2009 (UTC)

 * Explaining a joke ruins it, but there is not much to ruin here.

 * The basis for the knock knock joke is the real situation of someone knocking with their fist on a door so that the person on the inside will let them in. For example, the outsider, Steve, knocks twice.  The insider yells "Who's there?"  The outsider answers "Steve," thinking this is enough for the insider to let him in.  The insider isn't expecting anyone named Steve, so he continues "Steve who?"  This prompts the outsider to go into more detail, "Steve Smith, your cousin from California."  The insider knows Steve, so he opens the door and lets him in.

 * The way to turn this common social situation into a joke is for Steve to play a trick. He knocks ("Knock Knock"). The insider responds, "Who's there?"  Steve replies, "Ben".  The insider asks "Ben who?"  Steve answers "Ben standing outside for too long, let me in!".  This is a pun, playing on the fact that in English, the name "Ben" and the verb "Been" sound the same but have different meanings.  The insider is puzzled, since he expected a family name or explanation, but then opens the door to see who it is and lets Steve in.  He may even laugh.

 * However, there are only so many names that sound like other words or phrases, and only a few can be twisted into something you might say when standing outside a door. The framework gets used to tell other puns, where the point of the joke is that one word or phrase sounds like another.  The joke-teller says "Knock-knock", the joke hearer asks "Who's there", the teller says the word, the joke hearer repeats the word adding "who?", and the teller finishes the pun.  The vast majority of of knock-knock jokes are just puns, having nothing to do with doors.

 * In my part of the U.S., these jokes are very popular with kids just figuring out humor. There is a little to memorize, it is easy to tell and to participate, and they are usually "clean" (as opposed to "dirty" jokes with sexual or scatological humor).  Even at this age, they aren't particularly funny.   They are just wrapping their minds around the concept that different words have the same sound, so they enjoy the cleverness and word play.  Most kids grow out of them well before the age of 13, and it is rare to find an adult who still tells them.

 * My daughter (5 years old) has a favorite. "Knock Knock" "Who's there?" "Cows" "Cows who?" "Cows don't go who, they go moo!"  It was a little funny the first three times.  After fifty times, it loses a little.  JohnWhitlock (talk) 03:02, 22 April 2010 (UTC)

 * Thanks, I actually do get it now. I'm thinking I probably somehow never made the connection to doors because where I live people speak Dutch, so I would have never been in a (literal) knock-knock situation (in English). Also, when the joke is told on the internet or TV from an English source, there never is an actual door and the people can even see each other. It now does feel stange to have missed it, probably a lack of imagination. I possibly guessed the knocking was knocking on the other persons head, even though that doesn't make much sense for the rest of the joke. I also still think the majority of knock-knock jokes isn't that funny, but that's just a matter of sense of humour.

 * I have actually added a bit to the article to explain it. What if somebody reads wikipedia trying to figure out this joke 500 years from now when doors and identification by speech are obsolete? Or even worse, what if there are more people like me? W3ird N3rd (talk) 02:05, 26 April 2010 (UTC)

German knock-knock
I never heard of any kind of knock-knock joke in German! And the most funny bit about that paragraph was the use of the word "popular". Plays on names on the other hand are commonly understood but they're more used in the context of comedy/cabaret. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 84.168.168.32 (talk) 15:08, 18 August 2010 (UTC)

Same here - I'm a German and have been in Germany for most of my life. Even if the "popular German riddle" mentioned in the article exists, I've never heard it before and it's certainly not popular. Thus I think it should be deleted. Martin Zuther (talk) 22:21, 23 September 2010 (UTC)

Definitely, Knock-Knock-Jokes are completely unknown in Germany. The mentioned "riddle" seems to be made up but it's definitely not popular. Typical German jokes (or riddles) have structures and punchlines that differ a lot from this one. Someone should delete it. (and, by the way: yes, Germans DO have a sense of humour!) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 92.77.247.157 (talk) 19:46, 23 November 2010 (UTC)

When did "knock knock jokes" become well known in Anglo-American culture?
The current version of the article is a bit vague on the history of the knock-knock joke in its modern form, but searching Google I found a few sources that seem to place the origin in 1936. In particular, enotes.com quotes the 1936-08-19 issue of Variety that a Knock Knock Craze was sweeping America. The archives of Variety are available online but only with the payment of a fee, which I'm not inclined to do. The url appears to be http://www.varietyultimate.com/archive/issue/DV-08-19-1936-1. Also if you have patience, look at this Google Books search which I think confirms the time of origin to the mid-1930s. —Mathew5000 (talk) 07:59, 2 November 2010 (UTC)

Silverman joke not significant
I would suggest that the Silverman joke be deleted because it is not particulary significant to an understanding of the subject. Of course "Knock-knock jokes can also be offensive to some people" -- all joke formats can have content which is offensive to people. There is nothing particular about a knock-knock joke which lends itself to controversial subject matter. I have not deleted the material myself because it seems to have been a part of the article for a while. Wickedjacob (talk) 21:03, 20 August 2011 (UTC)
 * As no one seems to have strong feelings about, I am going to go ahead and delete that joke. Wickedjacob (talk) 20:32, 30 August 2011 (UTC)

Philippine version
The Philippine version of the knock-knock joke is similar to the French version, except the punchline can be found in any part of the son that can be sung. Sometimes it's not just one or two words that's punned; some jokes use four or more seemingly random Tagalog words to replace a line in an English language song. Alphapeta (talk) 15:33, 28 January 2012 (UTC)

George Zimmerman Defense Knock Knock
This is a particularly famous knock knock joke and could be put on here. It was a high profile case and used as an opening statement

‘Knock, knock. Who’s there? George Zimmerman. George Zimmerman who? Alright good, you’re on the jury

 * This is an example of what might be called a trick knock knock, in which the formula is derailed. A couple of others:

Did you ever hear the World War III joke?

Knock knock. Who's there? (No answer.)

Knock knock. Who's there? Boo. Boo who? Well if you're going to cry about it I'm not going to tell you! Kostaki mou (talk) 16:26, 4 April 2017 (UTC)

Shakespearian Origin?
Possibly the earliest example of use of 'Knock Knock, Who's there' was from Macbeth Act 2 Scene 3.

 * Porter:
 * Here's a knocking indeed! If a man were porter of Hell Gate,
 * he should have old turning the key. [Knock] Knock, knock,
 * knock! Who's there, i' th' name of Belzebub? . . . [Knock] Knock,
 * knock! Who's there, in th' other devil's name?

If I have time later, and can demonstrate a link I'll update the article to reflect this.

Y control (talk) 10:58, 3 December 2014 (UTC)
 * What make you think it is a knkn-joke? -M.Altenmann >t 11:30, 3 December 2014 (UTC)

Invented a new "Knock knock" joke
Knock, knock!

Who's there?

Christmas Tree!

Christmas Tree who?

Christmas let me in heaven.

(Christ most let me in heaven.)

I don't think it's good enough. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.120.149.54 (talk) 19:06, 31 December 2017 (UTC)

Who’s the source?
1. I always thought they were older than 1900; and from Northern England. But I guess if so, the source would have made it on to Wiki by now? No Jane Austen? Dickens? And if the source is American; what about Laura Ingalls Wilder or Louisa May Alcott?

This comes from reference1 (and I think useful) ;

Before there were knock-knock jokes — as we know them — there were "Do You Know" jokes. Writing in the Oakland Tribune, Merely McEvoy recalled that around 1900, a jokester would walk up to someone and pop a question like: "Do you know Arthur?" And the unsuspecting listener would reply, "Arthur who?" And the jokester would say "Arthurmometer!" and run off laughing.

2. Also: I’d like to see the article say more emphatically that the Macbeth story, is totally coincidental. Not an influence. Not a source. MBG02 (talk) 02:38, 29 September 2018 (UTC)

Another Variant
In a game called “Just for Laughs,” I found this joke:

Knock, knock. Who’s there? P.S. P.S.? I thought your name was Adeline! P.S. is when you Adeline. Cbsteffen (talk) 03:40, 3 October 2022 (UTC)

Cannot find reference
https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=interrupting+cow&year_start=1950&year_end=2019&corpus=en-2019&smoothing=0&case_insensitive=true seems to not support the statement that the interrupting cow joke was circa 1980. I cannot find any origination date at all. Google Scholar does not seem to have any relevant articles. What is the origin of interrupting cow?????? AltoStev ( talk ) 20:11, 15 November 2023 (UTC)
 * If it's unsourced, you can just remove it. NinjaRobotPirate (talk) 03:23, 16 November 2023 (UTC)

title: Talk:Knock-knock joke


text:
Invermere

Invermere is a community in eastern British Columbia, Canada, near the border of Alberta. It is the hub of the Columbia Valley between Golden to the north and Cranbrook to the south. Invermere sits on the northwest shore of Windermere Lake and is a popular summer destination for visitors and second home owners from Edmonton and Calgary.

Geography
Invermere is located 14 km south of Radium, and 104 km south of Golden and 102 km from the Trans-Canada Highway. Invermere is also 37 km north of Fairmont Hot Springs, 60 km north of Canal Flats, 128 km north of Fort Steele, 130 km north of Kimberley, and 144 km north of the hub of Cranbrook and the Crowsnest Highway. Invermere is situated within the Columbia River Wetlands, North America's largest intact wetland and a Ramsar-designated site. Located in the Rocky Mountain Trench, Invermere is 17.5 km from Kootenay National Park, and is near the Purcell Wilderness Conservancy.

Climate
Invermere's climate is characterized by warm summers and cool winters. The Rocky Mountains to the east shield Invermere from the Arctic air in winter, although extreme cold spells do occur on occasion. Spring arrives earlier than on the prairies to the east of the Rocky Mountains. Although warm, summers are variable, with weather alternating between hot, dry spells and cool, showery periods.

Demographics
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Invermere had a population of 3,917 living in 1,660 of its 2,238 total private dwellings, a change of NaN% from its 2016 population of 3,391. With a land area of 10.75 km2, it had a population density of in 2021.

Religion
According to the 2021 census, religious groups in Invermere included:
 * Irreligion (2,380 persons or 62.7%)
 * Christianity (1,340 persons or 35.3%)
 * Buddhism (20 persons or 0.5%)
 * Hinduism (20 persons or 0.5%)
 * Other (35 persons or 0.9%)

Arts and culture
The annual Invermere MusicFest takes place on the Pynelogs greenspace for one weekend every August. The two-day Festival attracts hundreds of people each day and delivers a high caliber of Canadian and international musical talent, including The Dead South and Lindi Ortega in 2018.

Sports and recreation
The Columbia Valley Rockies play in Invermere. Former New York Islanders and University of Denver goaltender Wade Dubielewicz was born in Invermere.
 * Hockey

 * Skiing
 * Panorama Mountain Village lies about 30 minutes west.
 * Fairmont Hot Springs Resort ski area lies 25 minutes south.
 * Kimberley Alpine Resort is about 1 hour south in Kimberley.
 * Kicking Horse Mountain Resort is about 1.5 hours north of Invermere in Golden, British Columbia

The longest ice skating trail in the world can be found on the Lake Windermere Whiteway. The naturally frozen trail measures 29.98 km.
 * Skating

Invermere is a major centre for golf.
 * Golfing
 * Copper Point Golf Club is a newer golf course about 2 km east of Invermere along Highway 95/93.
 * Eagle Ranch Golf Course is located 3 km northeast of Invermere, also along Highway 93/95 and was rated 4.5/5.0 stars by Golf Digest.
 * Greywolf Golf Course is located in Panorama Mountain Village is about 18 km west of Invermere, along the Toby Creek canyon.
 * The Resort Course and Springs Course at Radium Resort, Radium Hot Springs are very popular.
 * Mountainside, Creekside, and Riverside golf courses are located in Fairmont Hot Springs, 20 minutes south of Invermere.
 * Edgewater Hill Top Par 3 is located in Edgewater, 20 minutes north of Invermere.
 * Setekwa Golf Course is located about 7 km north of Invermere on Highway 93/95.
 * Windermere Valley Golf Course is located approximately 4 km south of Invermere, by the town of Windermere

The Invermere Airport is home to the non-profit Canadian Rockies Soaring Club. The club is active during the summer months, when it welcomes dozens of student pilots and private owners. The Invermere Soaring Centre is a separate commercial operation which provides aerotowing services and glider rides to the general public. The local area is also a popular destination for other non-motorized forms of flying including hang-gliding and paragliding. There are designated launch sites at nearby Mount Swansea.
 * Gliding and soaring
 * Canadian Rockies Soaring Club
 * Invermere Soaring Centre

The Valley is host to the biggest outdoor bonspiel in Canada every January. The spiel is held on the frozen Windermere Lake. The curling club is also host to many leagues and bonspiels throughout the season.
 * Curling

Hot springs are numerous in the area, with the major developed ones being Fairmont and Radium Hot Springs; the latter is located inside Kootenay National Park.
 * Hot springs

Less developed 'wilderness' hot springs can be found in the southern Columbia Valley, in Whiteswan Lake Provincial Park. Lussier Hot Springs is located 74 km south of Invermere and can be accessed from the Whiteswan Forestry Road. Ram Creek Warm Springs, a less visited and cooler natural spring, can also be accessed along the same route.

Media
Invermere is home to one newspaper, the Columbia Valley Pioneer. On July 1, 2017, the "Pioneer" (founded in 2004) and the Invermere Valley Echo (founded in 1956) merged to one paper retaining the Columbia Valley Pioneer designation. The "Pioneer" serves the Columbia Valley region, from Spillimacheen in the north to Canal Flats in the south and is published once a week, every Thursday.

Notable people

 * Wade Dubielewicz – Ice hockey player and coach
 * Christine Keshen – Curler
 * Patrick Morrow – Photographer
 * Benjamin Thomsen – Professional skier

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Invermere


text:
Wire loop game

A wire loop game, or buzz wire, is a game which involves guiding a metal loop (a 'probe') along a serpentine length of wire without touching the loop to the wire. The loop and wire are connected to a power source in such a way that, if they touch, they form a closed electric circuit. The circuit is connected to a light or sound-emitting device of some sort, so that when the loop and the wire touch, the light-emitting device will light up, and the sound-emitting device will make a sound, traditionally a buzzing noise. In commercial implementations of the game the wire is usually bent along a single axis.

This game is also called a steady-hand game or an electronic loop game.

History
The electric buzz wire game was invented by Robert (Bob) Scrimshaw in Yorkshire in 1953. Bob was an electrician for RAF ground crew during WWII repairing planes, and was known as a very skilled electronic engineer. In 1953 Bob’s close friend John Waddington asked Bob if he could make a game for his garden party, and Bob created and brought along the ‘electronic loop game’. The game was a huge hit at the party, and John Waddington went on to parent Bob’s design before producing the first commercial ‘electronic loop game’ for sale from the mid 1950’s, through his Waddingtons Game Co.

Types of buzz wire games
Desktop buzz wires are widely available for purchase. A giant version of the game also exists and it is typically used outdoors or as a garden game. More sophisticated buzz wires have also been developed, to incorporate digital technology to add features like automated scorekeeping and player ranking.

Virtual versions of this game exist, in which the pointer takes the place of the wire loop and must be guided down a narrow, twisting path without touching the sides. Both versions require well-developed hand–eye coordination. The difficulty of any particular game depends in part on the shape of the twisted wire and the size of the loop.

title: Wire loop game


text:
Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions

The Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (Landsorganisasjonen i Norge, LO) is a national trade union center, decidedly the largest and probably the most influential umbrella organization of labour unions in Norway. The 21 national unions affiliated to the LO have almost 1,000,000 members of a Norwegian population of 5 million. The majority of affiliated unions organizes traditional blue collar workers, but the largest affiliate is the Norwegian Union of Municipal and General Employees which makes up more than a third of all members. LO is affiliated to the ITUC and the ETUC.

It was named the Workers' National Trade Union (Arbeidernes Faglige Landsorganisasjon, AFL) from 1899 to 1957. Affiliated with the Labour Party throughout its history, several of LO's member unions have concurrently been member bodies in the Labour Party.

The organization owns the Norwegian Labour Movement Archives and Library.

title: Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions


text:
Magic hypercube

In mathematics, a magic hypercube is the k-dimensional generalization of magic squares and magic cubes, that is, an n × n × n × ... × n array of integers such that the sums of the numbers on each pillar (along any axis) as well as on the main space diagonals are all the same. The common sum is called the magic constant of the hypercube, and is sometimes denoted Mk(n). If a magic hypercube consists of the numbers 1, 2, ..., nk, then it has magic number

 * $$M_k(n) = \frac{n(n^k+1)}{2}$$.

For k = 4, a magic hypercube may be called a magic tesseract, with sequence of magic numbers given by.

The side-length n of the magic hypercube is called its order. Four-, five-, six-, seven- and eight-dimensional magic hypercubes of order three have been constructed by J. R. Hendricks.

Marian Trenkler proved the following theorem: A p-dimensional magic hypercube of order n exists if and only if p > 1 and n is different from 2  or p = 1. A construction of a magic hypercube follows from the proof.

The R programming language includes a module,, that will create magic hypercubes of any dimension with n a multiple of 4.

Perfect magic hypercubes
If, in addition, the numbers on every cross section diagonal also sum up to the hypercube's magic number, the hypercube is called a perfect magic hypercube; otherwise, it is called a semiperfect magic hypercube. The number n is called the order of the magic hypercube.

This definition of "perfect" assumes that one of the older definitions for perfect magic cubes is used. The Universal Classification System for Hypercubes (John R. Hendricks) requires that for any dimension hypercube, all possible lines sum correctly for the hypercube to be considered perfect magic. Because of the confusion with the term perfect, nasik is now the preferred term  for any magic hypercube where all possible lines sum to S. Nasik was defined in this manner by C. Planck in 1905. A nasik magic hypercube has $1⁄2$(3n − 1) lines of m numbers passing through each of the mn cells.

Nasik magic hypercubes
A Nasik magic hypercube is a magic hypercube with the added restriction that all possible lines through each cell sum correctly to S = $m(m^{n}+1⁄2$ where S is the magic constant, m the order and n the dimension of the hypercube.

Or, to put it more concisely, all pan-r-agonals sum correctly for r = 1...n. This definition is the same as the Hendricks definition of perfect, but different from the Boyer/Trump definition.

The term nasik would apply to all dimensions of magic hypercubes in which the number of correctly summing paths (lines) through any cell of the hypercube is P = $3^{n} − 1⁄2$.

A pandiagonal magic square then would be a nasik square because 4 magic line pass through each of the m2 cells. This was A.H. Frost’s original definition of nasik. A nasik magic cube would have 13 magic lines passing through each of its m3 cells. (This cube also contains 9m pandiagonal magic squares of order m.) A nasik magic tesseract would have 40 lines passing through each of its m4 cells, and so on.

History
In 1866 and 1878, Rev. A. H. Frost coined the term Nasik for the type of magic square we commonly call pandiagonal and often call perfect. He then demonstrated the concept with an order-7 cube we now class as pandiagonal, and an order-8 cube we class as pantriagonal. In another 1878 paper he showed another pandiagonal magic cube and a cube where all 13m lines sum correctly i.e. Hendricks perfect. He referred to all of these cubes as nasik as a respect to the great Indian Mathematician D R Kaprekar who hails from Deolali in Nasik District in Maharashtra, India. In 1905 Dr. Planck expanded on the nasik idea in his Theory of Paths Nasik. In the introductory to his paper, he wrote; "Analogy suggest that in the higher dimensions we ought to employ the term nasik as implying the existence of magic summations parallel to any diagonal, and not restrict it to diagonals in sections parallel to the plane faces. The term is used in this wider sense throughout the present paper."

In 1917, Dr. Planck wrote again on this subject. "It is not difficult to perceive that if we push the Nasik analogy to higher dimensions the number of magic directions through any cell of a k-fold must be ½(3k-1)."

In 1939, B. Rosser and R. J. Walker published a series of papers on diabolic (perfect) magic squares and cubes. They specifically mentioned that these cubes contained 13m2 correctly summing lines. They also had 3m pandiagonal magic squares parallel to the faces of the cube, and 6m pandiagonal magic squares parallel to the space-diagonal planes.

Notations
in order to keep things in hand a special notation was developed:
 * $$\left[ {}_{k} i;\ k\in\{0,\cdots,n-1\};\ i\in\{0,\cdots,m-1\}\right]$$: positions within the hypercube
 * $$\left\langle {}_{k} i;\ k\in\{0,\cdots,n-1\};\ i\in\{0,\cdots,m-1\}\right\rangle$$: vector through the hypercube

Note: The notation for position can also be used for the value on that position. Then, where it is appropriate, dimension and order can be added to it, thus forming: n[ki]m

As is indicated k runs through the dimensions, while the coordinate i runs through all possible values, when values i are outside the range it is simply moved back into the range by adding or subtracting appropriate multiples of m, as the magic hypercube resides in n-dimensional modular space.

There can be multiple k between brackets, these cannot have the same value, though in undetermined order, which explains the equality of:

$$\left[ {}_{1}i, {}_{k}j \right]=\left[ {}_{k}j, {}_{1}i \right]$$

Of course given k also one value i is referred to.

When a specific coordinate value is mentioned the other values can be taken as 0, which is especially the case when the amount of 'k's are limited using pe. #k = 1 as in:

$$ \left[ {}_{k}1;\ \#k=1 \right] = \left[ {}_{k}1\ \ {}_{j}0\ ; \ \#k=1;\ \#j=n-1 \right] $$ ("axial"-neighbor of $$\left[ {}_{k}0 \right]$$ )

(#j=n-1 can be left unspecified) j now runs through all the values in [0..k-1,k+1..n-1].

Further: without restrictions specified 'k' as well as 'i' run through all possible values, in combinations same letters assume same values. Thus makes it possible to specify a particular line within the hypercube (see r-agonal in pathfinder section)

Note: as far as I know this notation is not in general use yet(?), Hypercubes are not generally analyzed in this particular manner.

Further: "perm(0..n-1)" specifies a permutation of the n numbers 0..n-1.

Construction
Besides more specific constructions two more general construction method are noticeable:

KnightJump construction
This construction generalizes the movement of the chessboard horses (vectors $$\langle 1,2 \rangle, \langle 1,-2 \rangle, \langle -1,2 \rangle, \langle -1,-2 \rangle $$) to more general movements (vectors $$\langle {}_k i \rangle$$). The method starts at the position P0 and further numbers are sequentially placed at positions $$V_0$$ further until (after m steps) a position is reached that is already occupied, a further vector is needed to find the next free position. Thus the method is specified by the n by n+1 matrix:
 * $$[P_0, V_0 \dots V_{n-1}]$$

This positions the number 'k' at position:
 * $$P_k = P_0 + \sum_{l=0}^{n-1}((k\backslash m^l)\ \%\ m) V_l;\quad k = 0 \dots m^n-1.$$

C. Planck gives in his 1905 article "The theory of Path Nasiks" conditions to create with this method "Path Nasik" (or modern {perfect}) hypercubes.

Latin prescription construction
(modular equations). This method is also specified by an n by n+1 matrix. However this time it multiplies the n+1 vector [x0,..,xn-1,1], After this multiplication the result is taken modulus m to achieve the n (Latin) hypercubes: LPk = ( undefinedΣn-1 LPk,l xl + LPk,n ) % m of radix m numbers (also called "digits"). On these LPk's "digit changing" (?i.e. Basic manipulation) are generally applied before these LPk's are combined into the hypercube: nHm = undefinedΣn-1 LPk mk

J.R.Hendricks often uses modular equation, conditions to make hypercubes of various quality can be found on http://www.magichypercubes.com/Encyclopedia at several places (especially p-section)

Both methods fill the hypercube with numbers, the knight-jump guarantees (given appropriate vectors) that every number is present. The Latin prescription only if the components are orthogonal (no two digits occupying the same position)

Multiplication
Amongst the various ways of compounding, the multiplication can be considered as the most basic of these methods. The basic multiplication is given by: nHm 1 * nHm 2 : n[ki]m 1m2 = n[ [ [ ki \ m2]m 1 m1n]m 2 + [ki % m2]m 2 ]m 1m2

Most compounding methods can be viewed as variations of the above, As most qualifiers are invariant under multiplication one can for example place any aspectual variant of nHm 2 in the above equation, besides that on the result one can apply a manipulation to improve quality. Thus one can specify pe the J. R. Hendricks / M. Trenklar doubling. These things go beyond the scope of this article.

Aspects
A hypercube knows n! 2n Aspectial variants, which are obtained by coordinate reflection ([ki] --> [k(-i)]) and coordinate permutations ([ki] --> [perm[k]i]) effectively giving the Aspectial variant: nHm~R perm(0..n-1); R = undefinedΣn-1 ((reflect(k)) ? 2k : 0) ; perm(0..n-1) a permutation of 0..n-1 Where reflect(k) true iff coordinate k is being reflected, only then 2k is added to R. As is easy to see, only n coordinates can be reflected explaining 2n, the n! permutation of n coordinates explains the other factor to the total amount of "Aspectial variants"!

Aspectial variants are generally seen as being equal. Thus any hypercube can be represented shown in "normal position" by: [k0] = min([kθ ; θ ε {-1,0}]) (by reflection) [k1 ; #k=1] < [k+11 ; #k=1] ; k = 0..n-2 (by coordinate permutation) (explicitly stated here: [k0] the minimum of all corner points. The axial neighbour sequentially based on axial number)

Basic manipulations
Besides more specific manipulations, the following are of more general nature

 * #[perm(0..n-1)] : component permutation
 * ^[perm(0..n-1)] : coordinate permutation (n == 2: transpose)
 * _2axis[perm(0..m-1)] : monagonal permutation (axis ε [0..n-1])
 * =[perm(0..m-1)] : digit change

Note: '#', '^', '_' and '=' are essential part of the notation and used as manipulation selectors.

Component permutation
Defined as the exchange of components, thus varying the factor mk in mperm(k), because there are n component hypercubes the permutation is over these n components

Coordinate permutation
The exchange of coordinate [ki] into [perm(k)i], because of n coordinates a permutation over these n directions is required. The term transpose (usually denoted by t) is used with two dimensional matrices, in general though perhaps "coordinate permutation" might be preferable.

Monagonal permutation
Defined as the change of [ki] into [kperm(i)] alongside the given "axial"-direction. Equal permutation along various axes can be combined by adding the factors 2axis. Thus defining all kinds of r-agonal permutations for any r. Easy to see that all possibilities are given by the corresponding permutation of m numbers.

Noted be that reflection is the special case: ~R = _R[n-1,..,0] Further when all the axes undergo the same permutation (R = 2n-1) an n-agonal permutation is achieved, In this special case the 'R' is usually omitted so: _[perm(0..n-1)] = _(2n-1)[perm(0..n-1)]

Digitchanging
Usually being applied at component level and can be seen as given by [ki] in perm([ki]) since a component is filled with radix m digits, a permutation over m numbers is an appropriate manner to denote these.

Pathfinders
J. R. Hendricks called the directions within a hypercubes "pathfinders", these directions are simplest denoted in a ternary number system as: Pfp where: p = undefinedΣn-1 (ki + 1) 3k <==> <ki> ; i ε {-1,0,1}

This gives 3n directions. since every direction is traversed both ways one can limit to the upper half [(3n-1)/2,..,3n-1)] of the full range.

With these pathfinders any line to be summed over (or r-agonal) can be specified: [ j0 kp lq ; #j=1 #k=r-1 ; k > j ] < j1 kθ l0 ; θ ε {-1,1} > ; p,q ε [0,..,m-1]

which specifies all (broken) r-agonals, p and q ranges could be omitted from this description. The main (unbroken) r-agonals are thus given by the slight modification of the above: [ j0 k0 l-1 sp ; #j=1 #k+#l=r-1 ; k,l > j ] < j1 k1 l-1 s0 >

Qualifications
A hypercube nHm with numbers in the analytical numberrange [0..mn-1] has the magic sum: nSm = m (mn - 1) / 2.

Besides more specific qualifications the following are the most important, "summing" of course stands for "summing correctly to the magic sum"

 * {r-agonal} : all main (unbroken) r-agonals are summing.
 * {pan r-agonal} : all (unbroken and broken) r-agonals are summing.
 * {magic} : {1-agonal n-agonal}
 * {perfect} : {pan r-agonal; r = 1..n}

Note: This series doesn't start with 0 since a nill-agonal doesn't exist, the numbers correspond with the usual name-calling: 1-agonal = monagonal, 2-agonal = diagonal, 3-agonal = triagonal etc.. Aside from this the number correspond to the amount of "-1" and "1" in the corresponding pathfinder.

In case the hypercube also sum when all the numbers are raised to the power p one gets p-multimagic hypercubes. The above qualifiers are simply prepended onto the p-multimagic qualifier. This defines qualifications as {r-agonal 2-magic}. Here also "2-" is usually replaced by "bi", "3-" by "tri" etc. ("1-magic" would be "monomagic" but "mono" is usually omitted). The sum for p-Multimagic hypercubes can be found by using Faulhaber's formula and divide it by mn-1.

Also "magic" (i.e. {1-agonal n-agonal}) is usually assumed, the Trump/Boyer {diagonal} cube is technically seen {1-agonal 2-agonal 3-agonal}.

Nasik magic hypercube gives arguments for using {nasik} as synonymous to {perfect}. The strange generalization of square 'perfect' to using it synonymous to {diagonal} in cubes is however also resolve by putting curly brackets around qualifiers, so {perfect} means {pan r-agonal; r = 1..n} (as mentioned above).

some minor qualifications are:
 * {ncompact} : {all order 2 subhyper cubes sum to 2n nSm / m}
 * {ncomplete} : {all pairs halve an n-agonal apart sum equal (to (mn - 1)}

{ncompact} might be put in notation as : (k)Σ [ji + k1] = 2n nSm / m. {ncomplete} can simply be written as: [ji] + [ji + k(m/2) ; #k=n ] = mn - 1 where:
 * (k)Σ is symbolic for summing all possible k's, there are 2n possibilities for k1.
 * [ji + k1] expresses [ji] and all its r-agonal neighbors.

for {complete} the complement of [ji] is at position [ji + k(m/2) ; #k=n ].

for squares: {2compact 2complete} is the "modern/alternative qualification" of what Dame Kathleen Ollerenshaw called most-perfect magic square, {ncompact ncomplete} is the qualifier for the feature in more than 2 dimensions.

Caution: some people seems to equate {compact} with {2compact} instead of {ncompact}. Since this introductory article is not the place to discuss these kind of issues I put in the dimensional pre-superscript n to both these qualifiers (which are defined as shown) consequences of {ncompact} is that several figures also sum since they can be formed by adding/subtracting order 2 sub-hyper cubes. Issues like these go beyond this articles scope.

Magic hyperbeam
A magic hyperbeam (n-dimensional magic rectangle) is a variation on a magic hypercube where the orders along each direction may be different. As such a magic hyperbeam generalises the two dimensional magic rectangle and the three dimensional magic beam, a series that mimics the series magic square, magic cube and magic hypercube. This article will mimic the magic hypercubes article in close detail, and just as that article serves merely as an introduction to the topic.

Conventions
It is customary to denote the dimension with the letter 'n' and the orders of a hyperbeam with the letter 'm' (appended with the subscripted number of the direction it applies to).
 * (n) Dimension : the amount of directions within a hyperbeam.
 * (mk) Order : the amount of numbers along kth monagonal k = 0, ..., n − 1.

Further: In this article the analytical number range [0..undefinedΠn-1mk-1] is being used.

Notations
in order to keep things in hand a special notation was developed:
 * [ ki; k=[0..n-1]; i=[0..mk-1] ]: positions within the hyperbeam
 * $⟨_{k}i; k=[0..n-1]; i=[0..m_{k}-1]⟩$: vectors through the hyperbeam

Note: The notation for position can also be used for the value on that position. There where it is appropriate dimension and orders can be added to it thus forming: n[ki]m 0,..,mn-1

Basic
Description of more general methods might be put here, I don't often create hyperbeams, so I don't know whether Knightjump or Latin Prescription work here. Other more adhoc methods suffice on occasion I need a hyperbeam.

Multiplication
Amongst the various ways of compounding, the multiplication can be considered as the most basic of these methods. The basic multiplication is given by:
 * nB(m..) 1 * nB(m..) 2 : n[ki](m..) 1(m..)2 = n[ ki \ mk2(m..) 1k=0 Πn-1mk1](m..) 2 + [ki % mk2](m..) 2 ](m..) 1(m..)2

(m..) abbreviates: m0,..,mn-1. (m..)1(m..)2 abbreviates: m0 1 m0 2 ,..,mn-1 1 mn-1 2.

all orders are either even or odd
A fact that can be easily seen since the magic sums are:
 * Sk = mk (undefinedΠn-1mj - 1) / 2

When any of the orders mk is even, the product is even and thus the only way Sk turns out integer is when all mk are even. Thus suffices: all mk are either even or odd.

This is with the exception of mk=1 of course, which allows for general identities like: Which goes beyond the scope of this introductory article
 * Nmt = Nm,1 * N1,m
 * Nm = N1,m * Nm,1

Only one direction with order = 2
since any number has but one complement only one of the directions can have mk = 2.

Aspects
A hyperbeam knows 2n Aspectial variants, which are obtained by coördinate reflection ([ki] → [k(-i)]) effectively giving the Aspectial variant: nB(m 0..mn-1) ~R ; R = undefinedΣn-1 ((reflect(k)) ? 2k : 0) ; Where reflect(k) true if and only if coordinate k is being reflected, only then 2k is added to R.

In case one views different orientations of the beam as equal one could view the number of aspects n! 2n just as with the magic hypercubes, directions with equal orders contribute factors depending on the hyperbeam's orders. This goes beyond the scope of this article.

Basic manipulations
Besides more specific manipulations, the following are of more general nature
 * ^[perm(0..n-1)] : coördinate permutation (n == 2: transpose)
 * _2axis[perm(0..m-1)] : monagonal permutation (axis ε [0..n-1])

Note: '^' and '_' are essential part of the notation and used as manipulation selectors.

Coördinate permutation
The exchange of coördinaat [ki] into [perm(k)i], because of n coördinates a permutation over these n directions is required. The term transpose (usually denoted by t) is used with two dimensional matrices, in general though perhaps "coördinaatpermutation" might be preferable.

Monagonal permutation
Defined as the change of [ki] into [kperm(i)] alongside the given "axial"-direction. Equal permutation along various axes with equal orders can be combined by adding the factors 2axis. Thus defining all kinds of r-agonal permutations for any r. Easy to see that all possibilities are given by the corresponding permutation of m numbers.

normal position
In case no restrictions are considered on the n-agonals a magic hyperbeam can be represented shown in "normal position" by:
 * [ki] < [k(i+1)] ; i = 0..mk-2 (by monagonal permutation)

Qualification
Qualifying the hyperbeam is less developed then it is on the magic hypercubes in fact only the k'th monagonal direction need to sum to:
 * Sk = mk (undefinedΠn-1mj - 1) / 2

for all k = 0..n-1 for the hyperbeam to be qualified {magic}

When the orders are not relatively prime the n-agonal sum can be restricted to:
 * S = lcm(mi ; i = 0..n-1) (undefinedΠn-1mj - 1) / 2

with all orders relatively prime this reaches its maximum:
 * Smax = undefinedΠn-1mj (undefinedΠn-1mj - 1) / 2

Special hyperbeams
The following hyperbeams serve special purposes:

The "normal hyperbeam"

 * nNm 0,..,mn-1 : [ki] = undefinedΣn-1 ki mkk

This hyperbeam can be seen as the source of all numbers. A procedure called "Dynamic numbering" makes use of the isomorphism of every hyperbeam with this normal, changing the source, changes the hyperbeam. Basic multiplications of normal hyperbeams play a special role with the "Dynamic numbering" of magic hypercubes of order undefinedΠn-1 mk.

The "constant 1"

 * n1m 0,..,mn-1 : [ki] = 1

The hyperbeam that is usually added to change the here used "analytic" number range into the "regular" number range. Other constant hyperbeams are of course multiples of this one.

title: Magic hypercube


text:
Grothendieck's Galois theory

In mathematics, Grothendieck's Galois theory is an abstract approach to the Galois theory of fields, developed around 1960 to provide a way to study the fundamental group of algebraic topology in the setting of algebraic geometry. It provides, in the classical setting of field theory, an alternative perspective to that of Emil Artin based on linear algebra, which became standard from about the 1930s.

The approach of Alexander Grothendieck is concerned with the category-theoretic properties that characterise the categories of finite G-sets for a fixed profinite group G. For example, G might be the group denoted $$\hat{\Z}$$ (see profinite integer), which is the inverse limit of the cyclic additive groups Z/nZ — or equivalently the completion of the infinite cyclic group Z for the topology of subgroups of finite index. A finite G-set is then a finite set X on which G acts through a quotient finite cyclic group, so that it is specified by giving some permutation of X.

In the above example, a connection with classical Galois theory can be seen by regarding $$\hat{\Z}$$ as the profinite Galois group Gal( F /F) of the algebraic closure F of any finite field F, over F. That is, the automorphisms of F fixing F are described by the inverse limit, as we take larger and larger finite splitting fields over F. The connection with geometry can be seen when we look at covering spaces of the unit disk in the complex plane with the origin removed: the finite covering realised by the zn map of the disk, thought of by means of a complex number variable z, corresponds to the subgroup n.Z of the fundamental group of the punctured disk.

The theory of Grothendieck, published in SGA1, shows how to reconstruct the category of G-sets from a fibre functor Φ, which in the geometric setting takes the fibre of a covering above a fixed base point (as a set). In fact there is an isomorphism proved of the type

 * G ≅ Aut(Φ),

the latter being the group of automorphisms (self-natural equivalences) of Φ. An abstract classification of categories with a functor to the category of sets is given, by means of which one can recognise categories of G-sets for G profinite.

To see how this applies to the case of fields, one has to study the tensor product of fields. In topos theory this is a part of the study of atomic toposes.

title: Grothendieck's Galois theory


text:
New River (London)

The New River is an artificial waterway in England, opened in 1613 to supply London with fresh drinking water taken from Chadwell and Amwell Springs near Ware in Hertfordshire, and later the River Lea and other sources. Originally conceived by Edmund Colthurst and completed by Hugh Myddelton, it was operated by the New River Company for nearly 300 years until London's water supply was taken over by the Metropolitan Water Board in 1904.

Although it was once threatened with closure, a large section of the New River remains part of London's water supply infrastructure, today operated by Thames Water, more than 400 years after it was first constructed.

The New River originally followed the land contours but certain parts have been straightened over the centuries. There is a designated walking route along the canal called the New River Path. It is a 28-mile (45 km) long-distance footpath which follows the course of the New River as closely as possible from its source in Hertfordshire to its original end in Islington, London.

Route
It starts between Ware and Hertford in Hertfordshire and today runs 20 mi down to Stoke Newington. Among the districts it flows through are (from north to south):
 * Great Amwell
 * Hoddesdon
 * Broxbourne
 * Cheshunt
 * Enfield
 * Palmers Green
 * Bowes Park
 * Wood Green (passing close to Alexandra Palace)
 * Hornsey
 * Harringay
 * Finsbury Park

Its original termination, near Clerkenwell, Islington, became known as the New River Head where the water filled a large cistern – the Round Pond – next to the current location of Sadler's Wells theatre — where water from the river was used to flood a large tank to stage an Aquatic Theatre at the beginning of the nineteenth century. In 1946, the water supply to New River Head was truncated at Stoke Newington with the New River ending at the East Reservoir. The reservoir is managed as the Woodberry Wetlands – a nature reserve and designated Site of Metropolitan Importance.

Construction

The design and construction of the New River is often attributed solely to Sir Hugh Myddelton. In 1602, Edmund Colthurst first proposed the idea of digging an artificial waterway to supply London from Chadwell and Amwell springs near Ware in Hertfordshire, and obtained a charter from King James I in 1604 to carry it out. However, much of the water was obtained from streams tapped along its route, including the Hackney Brook.

After surveying the route and digging the first 2 mi stretch, Colthurst encountered financial difficulties and it fell to Myddelton to complete the work between 1609 and its official opening on 29 September 1613. The project was also rescued by the King personally, whose house and lands at Theobalds Park were crossed by the river. James took half of the shares in 1612 for a half of the profits.

The expense and engineering challenges of the project—it relied on gravity to allow the water to flow, carefully following the contours of the terrain from Ware into London, and dropping around just five inches per mile (8 cm/km)—were not Myddelton's only worries. He also faced considerable opposition from landowners who feared that the New River would reduce the value of their farmland (they argued that floods or overflowing might create quagmires that could trap livestock); others were concerned at the possible disruption to road transport networks between Hertfordshire and the capital. The project nearly foundered when a few landowners flatly refused to agree to allow the river across their land.

When it was originally constructed, long sections, for example around Forty Hall and in Hornsey, wound around the heads of small tributary valleys of the Lea. Other sections of the river, including the one in Harringay, were carried across valleys in wooden aqueducts lined with lead and supported by strong timbers and brick piers. In at least one section, locals referred to the river as the boarded river. Improvements in canal construction in the eighteenth century led to these sections being replaced by clay-banked canals.

In 1620, the New River Company found that the springs were not sufficient to supply their customers, and dug a half-mile extension to feed the New River from the nearby River Lea to supplement the water from the springs. A mechanical gauge regulates the amount taken.

On 9 January 1622 King James rode from Theobalds after dinner to see the ice on the New River and fell in head first so that his companions could only see his boots. He was rescued by Sir Richard Young and returned to a warm bed at Theobalds.

Later alterations

Originally the New River's course was above ground throughout, but in the second half of the 19th century some sections were put underground, enabling the course to be straightened.

A winding original section of the channel that used to run through the town centre of Enfield has been cut off from the main flow, but is still maintained as an important local civic amenity called the New River Loop. The New River was returned to its original course along the Enfield Loop for a period between 1940 and 1952 after a bomb hit the pipes run to divert it.

Another large loop originally ran around the Devonshire Hill area in north Wood Green and southern Enfield. This loop was cut off when the Wood Green tunnel, which starts at Bowes Park, was completed in 1852. The loop existed for some decades, but was completely filled in and lost by the early 1900s. Now entirely covered by residential development dating mostly back to the 1930s, its former course is visible on numerous maps drawn in the 1800s and early 1900s.

In March 1946, the last filter beds at New River Head were decommissioned to make way for the Metropolitan Water Board's new offices, and the section of the New River south of Stoke Newington was abandoned. In 1950, the pipes used to carry the water in this section were excavated, and some were reused elsewhere in the water supply network.

The New River Aqueduct (51°40'58.6"N 0°03'16.0"W) was built in 1985 to carry the New River, then running on an embankment, over the London Orbital Motorway (M25) which was then being constructed. The aqueduct carries the river in two parallel concrete boxes each 90 m long, 4.25 m wide and 2 m deep. The double box design allowed the temporary diversion of the river during construction and also enables maintenance to be undertaken on either side without stopping the flow.

Present day
The New River is still in use today, transferring around 220 million litres of water per day — 8% of London's total use.

Near Turkey Brook in Enfield, water is taken from the New River via the Northern Transfer Tunnel, which feeds King George V Reservoir at the top of the Lee Valley Reservoir Chain. Further south, adjacent to Alexandra Park, water is taken from the New River for treatment at Hornsey Water Treatment Works. The New River now terminates at the East Reservoir in Stoke Newington, into which its flow is entirely diverted. Water from Stoke Newington is transferred to the lower end of the Lee Valley reservoirs via the Amhurst Main, which has a capacity of 90 million litres per day, for treatment at the Coppermills Water Treatment Works.

During times of low water flow, the New River can be supplemented with water pumped from a series of boreholes along its route, with this water being treated at Hornsey or Coppermills. When a surplus of water is available, treated water from Coppermills is injected back into the aquifer for storage as part of the North London Artificial Recharge Scheme.

The former route of the New River between Stoke Newington and its terminus at New River Head can be seen in gaps in the urban fabric along Petherton Road (Petherton Green), through Canonbury and along Astey's Row (New River Walk) and along Colebrooke Row/Duncan Terrace (Colebrooke Row Gardens and Duncan Terrace Gardens).

Dame Alice Owen's School bombing
On 15 October 1940, approximately 150 people were sheltering in the basement of Dame Alice Owen's School, then situated on Goswell Road. A large parachute mine hit the building directly, causing the structure to collapse and blocking access to the basement. The blast wave from the bomb caused the pipeline carrying the New River to rupture, flooding the shelter and killing the majority of the people taking cover.

A memorial to the victims of the bombing stands in Owen's Fields at the northern end of Goswell Road.

Drownings and accidents
Charles Lamb wrote an essay about a friend he calls G. D. (probably the blind poet George Dyer) who walked into the New River by accident but was rescued. From "Amicus Redivivus" in Essays of Elia: "I do not know when I have experienced a stranger sensation, than on seeing my old friend G.D., who had been paying me a morning visit a few Sundays back, at my cottage at Islington, upon taking leave, instead of turning down the right hand path by which he had entered—with staff in hand, and at noon day, deliberately march right forwards into the midst of the stream that runs by us, and totally disappear. A spectacle like this at dusk would have been appalling enough; but, in the broad open daylight, to witness such an unreserved motion towards self-destruction in a valued friend, took from me all power of speculation. […]

Waters of Sir Hugh Middleton—what a spark you were like to have extinguished for ever! Your salubrious streams to this City, for now near two centuries, would hardly have atoned for what you were in a moment washing away. Mockery of a river—liquid artifice—wretched conduit! henceforth rank with canals, and sluggish aqueducts. Was it for this, that, smit in boyhood with the explorations of that Abyssinian traveller, I paced the vales of Amwell to explore your tributary springs, to trace your salutary waters sparkling through green Hertfordshire, and cultured Enfield parks?—Ye have no swans—no Naiads—no river God—or did the benevolent hoary aspect of my friend tempt ye to suck him in, that ye also might have the tutelary genius of your waters?

Had he been drowned in Cam there would have been some consonancy in it; but what willows had ye to wave and rustle over his moist sepulture?—or, having no name, besides that unmeaning assumption of eternal novity, did ye think to get one by the noble prize, and henceforth to be termed the STREAM DYERIAN?"

Rochemont Barbauld, minister of the nearby Newington Green Unitarian Church and husband of Anna Laetitia Barbauld, went violently insane, attacked his wife, and committed suicide by drowning himself in the New River in 1811.

title: New River (London)


text:
Trumpeter finch

The trumpeter finch (Bucanetes githagineus) is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae. It is mainly a desert species which is found in North Africa and Spain through to southern Asia. It has occurred as a vagrant in areas north of its breeding range.

Distribution and subspecies
The trumpeter finch breeds from the Canary Islands eastwards across North Africa, as far south as Mauritania, Mali and Chad, with isolated populations in Sudan and Ethiopia and Djibouti. In the Middle East, it is found in Egypt east to Iraq and south in the Arabian Peninsula to Yemen and Oman and north into Turkey and Armenia. In central Asia it ranges from Iran north to Kazakhstan and east to India. It has colonised southern Spain where breeding was first proved in 1971.

There are four recognised subspecies:

It has been recorded as a vagrant in Great Britain with the first records there both occurring in 1971 in Suffolk and in Sutherland, Channel Island, Denmark, Sweden Germany and Austria. It is possibly a regular migrant in southern Europe away from Spain with records of flocks from Italy and Malta. There was a population in the Algarve in Portugal which originated from escaped cage birds.
 * B. g. amantum - (Hartert, 1903) - the Canary Islands
 * B. g. zedlitzi - (Neumann, 1907) - North Africa and southeastern Spain
 * B. g. githagineus (Lichtenstein, MHK, 1823) - Egypt and Sudan
 * B. g. crassirostris (Blyth, 1847) - from Turkey and the Sinai Peninsula in the west east through the Middle East and Central Asia to Rajasthan and Haryana in India.

In the summer of 2005, there was a notable irruption of this species into northwestern Europe, with several birds reaching as far as England.

Description
The trumpeter finch is a small, long-winged bird. It has a large head and short, very thick bill. The summer male has a red bill, grey head and neck, and pale brown upper parts. The breast, rump and tail are pink, the last having dark terminal feathers. Winter males, females and young birds are a very washed-out version of the breeding male. The song of this bird is a buzzing nasal trill, like a tin trumpet.

Habitat
Trumpeter finches occur in desert, semi-desert and the margins of deserts. They can also be found in vast open steppe areas where there are dry desolate hills with sparse low scrubby vegetation, edges of fields, on mountain slopes, in stony plains where there are no trees, cliffs, ravines, gorges and wadis. In the desert regions of northern Africa it can also occur in villages and gardens and in regions of open sandy desert it frequents oases. The European breeding population is found in habitats where there is no tree cover but there is sparse scrub less than a metre in height, while the birds in the Canary Islands nest on sandy plains with halophytic and xerophytic scrub, as well as in more typical habitats.

Biology
Trumpeter finches breed from February to June in monogamous pairs. The female builds a simple nest made of a loose collection of twigs, plat stems, down and fibres such as animal hair, grass fibres and sometimes feathers. It is placed in a shallow depression in the ground, in the shade of a rock, bush or a tussock of grass. It may also be situated as high as to 6 m above ground in a pipe or wall. The clutch is normally 4–6 eggs. They are mainly vegetarian and their diet consists of small seeds, shoots and buds of grasses and low ground-loving plants. They will eat some insects as well, mainly grasshoppers. Trumpeter finches can be resident, dispersive or nomadic. They can occur in pairs or they form flocks of up to 20 individuals; larger flocks can form outside the breeding season, frequently made up of largely juvenile birds, rarely reaching 1,000 birds. In then Canary Islands they form mixed flocks with common linnets and Spanish sparrows. They will fly quite long distances in the late afternoons and in the evenings to find drinking water. The population in Spain is supported by birds dispersing from North Africa joining its population.

Etymology
The genus name Bucanetes is from Ancient Greek βυκανητής : bukanētēs (variant transliteration of bykanētēs), "trumpeter"; from βυκάνη : bukánē : "spiral trumpet, horn". The specific name githagineus is Latin from  Githago, the corn cockle (from gith, "coriander", and -ago "resembling"). Temminck believed that the bird's name was derived from that of the plant.

title: Trumpeter finch


text:
Saint Florian

Florian (Florianus; AD 250 – c. 304) was a Christian holy man and the patron saint of chimney sweeps; soapmakers, and firefighters. His feast day is 4 May. Florian is also the patron saint of Poland, the city of Linz, Austria, and Upper Austria, jointly with Leopold III, Margrave of Austria.

Life
Florian was born around AD 250 in the ancient Roman city of Aelium Cetium, present-day Sankt Pölten, Austria. He joined the Roman Army and advanced in the ranks, rising to commander of the imperial army in the Roman province of Noricum. In addition to his military duties, he was also responsible for organizing and leading firefighting brigades. Florian organized and trained an elite group of soldiers whose sole duty was to fight fires.

During the Diocletianic Persecution of Christians, reports reached Rome that Florian was not enforcing the proscriptions against Christians in his territory. Aquilinus was sent to investigate these reports. When Aquilinus ordered Florian to offer sacrifice to the Roman gods in accordance with Roman religion, Florian refused. Florian was sentenced to be burned at the stake. Standing on the funeral pyre, Florian is reputed to have challenged the Roman soldiers to light the fire, saying "If you wish to know that I am not afraid of your torture, light the fire, and in the name of the Lord I will climb onto it." Apprehensive of his words, the soldiers did not burn Florian, but executed him by drowning him in the Enns River with a millstone tied around his neck instead.

His body was later retrieved by Christians and buried at an Augustinian monastery near Lorch. Later a woman named Valeria had a vision in which she saw him; Florian, in this vision, declared his intent to be buried in a more appropriate location.

Veneration
Florian is very widely venerated in Central Europe. The Austrian town of Sankt Florian is named after him. According to legend, his body was interred at St. Florian Monastery, around which the town grew up.

Florian was adopted as patron saint of Poland in 1184, when Pope Lucius III consented to the request of Prince Casimir II to send relics of Florian to that country. Kraków thus claims some of his relics.

A statue of Florian by Josef Josephu was unveiled in Vienna in 1935. It stood at the main firehouse of Vienna, in the city's main square, Am Hof. After the firehouse was bombed in 1945 during World War II the statue was moved on to the Fire Brigade Museum (Wiener Feuerwehrmuseum).

Seeking the sponsorship of a helpful saint was and still is a part of the namegiving practice in Catholic areas. In the southern, Catholic, parts of the German Empire (mainly present Bavaria and Austria), peasants regularly have used the name, Florian, as one of the given names for at least one of their male children: to secure the saint's patronage against fire. Hence the given name is still widespread in these areas.

St Florian was also celebrated in Hungary.

Two statues celebrating Saint Vendel and Saint Florian are in a small square in Zalavar village. They sit on separate similar plinths next to each other. (This arrangement and the style of the statues appears to be in the period 1900-1930.

The statues are not outside the village churches. (Many villages in west Hungary have two christian churches - catholic and protestant.)

Before 1920 german was the dominant language in hundreds of villages in Hungary, although Zalavar appears to be not in the main german speaking areas.

A Zalavar monument listing people who died in World Wars 1 & 2 has two or three names of german origin. Zalavar cemetery has very few graves displaying names of german origin. I

In oldest section of the cemetery furthest from the road most graves have no headstone.)

In Austria and Germany, fire services use Florian in radio communications as universal call sign for fire stations and fire trucks. The call sign Florentine for firefighting-related, handheld radio equipment is also derived, somewhat inaccurately, from that usage.

Patronage
Florian is a patron saint of Upper Austria and Poland; also firefighters, chimneysweeps, and brewers. Florian is associated with brewers because of a legendary incident in which he miraculously stopped a fire with a single pitcher of water. That is why he is often depicted holding a pitcher. Florian is also the patron of chimney sweeps, Austria, Poland and soap boilers.

Florian is invoked against fires, floods, lightning, and the pains of Purgatory.

A famous St. Florian's Church is located in Kraków, Poland. His veneration has been particularly intense since 1528, when a fire burned the neighborhood without destroying the church.

In contemporary culture
The "Florian Principle" (known in German language areas as "Sankt-Florians-Prinzip") is named after a somewhat ironic prayer to Saint Florian: "O heiliger Sankt Florian, verschon' mein Haus, zünd' and're an," equivalent to "O Holy St. Florian, please spare my house, set fire to another one". This saying is used in German much like the English "not in my back yard", when the speaker wants to point out that some person tries to get out of an unpleasant situation by an action that will put others in that very same situation.

In Germany, "Florian" is the call sign for fire engines.

The protagonist in Felix Salten's novel Florian: The Emperor’s Stallion was named after Florian, as the animal was born on 4 May 1901 in Lipizza, Austria.

Alfred Schnittke's Symphony No. 2, is subtitled "St. Florian".

In multiple cities across Slovakia, streets are named after Saint Florian, often in correlation with local fire departments. Florian Street (Floriánska ulica) occurs in historic boroughs of major cities: currently in Košice (Staré Mesto) and also formerly in Bratislava (Staré Mesto).

title: Saint Florian