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97-399: One theme of the play is Darwinism , a theory that was a significant influence on the author during his naturalistic period. This theme is stated explicitly in the preface, where Strindberg describes his two lead characters, Miss Julie and Jean, as vying against each other in an evolutionary "life and death" battle for a survival of the fittest. The character of Miss Julie represents the last of

194-418: A vigil , Saint John's Eve , was added to the feast day. Christian priests held three Masses in churches for the celebration. Many neopagans celebrate midsummer. As forms of Neopaganism have widely different origins, observances can vary considerably despite the shared name. Some celebrate in a manner as close as possible to how they believe ancient pagans observed the summer solstice, while others observe

291-492: A bonfire; another is of clean wood and no bones, and is called a wakefire, for men sitteth and wake by it; the third is made of bones and wood, and is called St John's Fire. The 13th-century monk of Winchcomb , Gloucestershire, who compiled a book of sermons for Christian feast days, recorded how St John's Eve was celebrated in his time: Let us speak of the revels which are accustomed to be made on St. John's Eve, of which there are three kinds. On St. John's Eve in certain regions

388-540: A bottle of fine wine with a "yellow seal" and reveals, by the way he flirts with her, that he and Christine are engaged. Noticing a stench, Jean asks what Christine is cooking so late on Midsummer's Eve. The pungent mixture turns out to be an abortifacient for Miss Julie's dog, which was impregnated by the gatekeeper's mongrel. Jean calls Miss Julie "too stuck-up in some ways and not proud enough in others," traits apparently inherited from her mother. Despite Miss Julie's character flaws, Jean finds her beautiful or perhaps simply

485-423: A dance and that the gossip generated by such an act would be savage. Almost offended by this response, Julie justifies her request by pulling rank: she is the lady of the house and must have the best dancer as her partner. Then, insisting that rank does not matter, she convinces Jean to waltz with her. When they return, Miss Julie recounts a dream of climbing up a pillar and being unable to get down. Jean responds with

582-606: A dogmatic, atheistic ideology akin to Marxism ." However, Darwinism is also used neutrally within the scientific community to distinguish the modern evolutionary synthesis , which is sometimes called " neo-Darwinism ", from those first proposed by Darwin. Darwinism also is used neutrally by historians to differentiate his theory from other evolutionary theories current around the same period. For example, Darwinism may refer to Darwin's proposed mechanism of natural selection, in comparison to more recent mechanisms such as genetic drift and gene flow . It may also refer specifically to

679-403: A dying aristocratic breed and serves to characterize women in modernity . Jean represents one who is clambering upwards and who is fitter to thrive because he is more adaptable in terms of the "life roles" he can take on. The play has various themes, partly because Miss Julie's actions are motivated by a range of factors and influences: her class, her desires and impulsive nature, her father, and

776-412: A holiday on the evening before the actual day, it takes place on the evening of 23 June. It is the day where the medieval wise men and women (the doctors of that time) would gather special herbs that they needed for the rest of the year to cure people. Bonfires on the beach, speeches, picnics and songs are traditional, although they are built in many other places where beaches may not be close by (i.e. on

873-533: A kind of faith, like ' Maoism [...] Scientists don't call it 'Darwinism'." In the United Kingdom , the term often retains its positive sense as a reference to natural selection, and for example British ethologist and evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins wrote in his collection of essays A Devil's Chaplain , published in 2003, that as a scientist he is a Darwinist. In his 1995 book Darwinian Fairytales , Australian philosopher David Stove used

970-560: A lecture tour across the United States, starting in New York and going via Boston, Washington, Kansas, Iowa and Nebraska to California, lecturing on what he called "Darwinism" without any problems. In his book Darwinism (1889), Wallace had used the term pure-Darwinism which proposed a "greater efficacy" for natural selection . George Romanes dubbed this view as "Wallaceism", noting that in contrast to Darwin, this position

1067-451: A mixture of the old and the new." The preface to the play may not be the best guide to the play, and is at times in variance with the play itself. The preface urges naturalism and deterministic readings of the play, but the play seems to offer more anti-naturalism and even feminist readings. Strindberg's play may have other values than his own critical assessment. In the preface, Strindberg discusses aristocracy and classism beyond what occurs in

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1164-476: A stepping stone to achieve his lifelong goal of owning an inn. When Miss Julie enters and asks Christine if the "meal" has finished cooking, Jean instantly shapes up, becoming charming and polite. Jokingly, he asks if the women are gossiping about secrets or making a witch's broth for seeing Miss Julie's future suitor. After more niceties, Miss Julie invites Jean once more to dance the waltz, at which point he hesitates, pointing out that he already promised Christine

1261-490: A story of creeping into her walled garden as a child―he saw it as "the Garden of Eden, guarded by angry angels with flaming swords"―and, from under a pile of stinking weeds, gazing at her longingly. He says he was so distraught with this unrequitable love that, after seeing her at a Sunday church service, he tried to die beautifully and pleasantly by sleeping in a bin of oats strewn with elderflowers, as sleeping under an elder tree

1358-444: A strong impression on him, and which "seemed appropriate for tragedy, for it still seems tragic to see someone favored by fortune go under, much more to see a family die out." Strindberg describes both Jean and Miss Julie as representations of their classes and society. The people in the play are described by Strindberg as "modern characters living in an age of transition [...] more vacillating and disintegrating than their predecessors,

1455-577: Is a public holiday . In Denmark and Norway, it may also be referred to as St. Hans Day. In the 4th century AD, the undivided Christian Church made 24 June the feast day of Saint John the Baptist ; it marks his birth, which the Gospel of Luke says was six months before Jesus . Christians marked the birth of Jesus ( Christmas ) on 25 December, the Roman date of the winter solstice, so the feast of St John

1552-490: Is a celebration of the season of summer , taking place on or near the date of the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere ; the longest day of the year. The name "midsummer" mainly refers to summer solstice festivals of European origin. In these cultures it is traditionally regarded as the middle of summer, with the season beginning on May Day . Although the summer solstice falls on 20, 21 or 22 June in

1649-484: Is also a popular day for infant baptisms and in the 19th century, "baptisms of children who had died 'pagans' were acted out". In Sweden, young people visited holy springs as "a reminder of how John the Baptist baptised Christ in the River Jordan." The early Christian Church designated 24 June as the feast day of the early Christian martyr St John the Baptist , and the observance of St John's Day begins

1746-493: Is an inappropriate term for modern evolutionary theory. For example, Darwin was unfamiliar with the work of the Moravian scientist and Augustinian friar Gregor Mendel , and as a result had only a vague and inaccurate understanding of heredity . He naturally had no inkling of later theoretical developments and, like Mendel himself, knew nothing of genetic drift , for example. In the United States and to some extent in

1843-453: Is aware of the power she holds, but switches between being above the servants and flirting with Jean, her father's manservant. She longs to fall from her pillar, an expression symbolically put across as a recurring dream she has. Jean: Manservant to the Count. He tells a story of seeing Miss Julie many times as a child and loving her even then, but the truth of the story is later denied (there

1940-452: Is burned and ashes are thrown on the ground, as a "burning for regeneration" ritual. Tribal or community fires ( zjarre ) are traditionally made with straw, with people jumping across them. In some regions plumes of burning chaff were carried in the air, running through the fields and hills. The ashes of the straw that burned in the ritual fires of this event are traditionally thrown to the field for good luck. During this feast sheep shearing

2037-471: Is celebrated by neopagans who emphasize what they believe to be the reconstruction of Anglo-Saxon Germanic paganism . Midsummer is traditionally celebrated throughout Europe, including in Albania, Austria, Belarus, Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Flanders, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, and parts of

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2134-399: Is good evidence both for and against its veracity). Jean left the town and traveled widely, working many different jobs as he went, before finally returning to work for the count. He has aspirations to rise from his station in life and manage his own hotel, and Miss Julie is part of his plan. He is alternately kind and callous. Despite his aspirations, he is rendered servile by the mere sight of

2231-465: Is no evidence that the pre-Christian Germanic peoples celebrated the summer solstice. The historian Ronald Hutton says that the "lighting of festive fires upon Saint John's Eve is first recorded as a popular custom by Jean Belethus , a theologian at the University of Paris, in the early twelfth century", but is undoubtedly much older. In England, the earliest reference to this custom occurs in

2328-501: Is not lowered in the night between these two days. On the Faroe Islands , St. John's Eve ( jóansøka ) is generally not celebrated. However, on the southernmost island of Suðuroy it is observed by lighting a bonfire. Only one bonfire is lit on the island as one of the two biggest towns hosts the celebration alternately every other year. The pre-Christian name for the summer solstice was Ukon juhla ("Ukko's celebration") after

2425-588: Is not only successful as a naturalistic drama, but it is a play that has achieved the rare distinction of being performed on stages all over the world every year since it was written in 1888. The play was written as Strindberg was creating a new theatre of his own, the Scandinavian Naturalistic Theater, which would be founded in Copenhagen. Miss Julie would be the premier offering. Strindberg's wife, Siri von Essen , would star in

2522-552: Is part of the reconstructed Germanic calendar used by some Germanic Neopagans and takes its name from Bede 's De temporum ratione that provides Anglo-Saxon names for the two months roughly corresponding to June and July as līða , distinguished in Bosworth and Toller's dictionary as sē ǽrra líða ("the earlier Litha") and sē æftera līða ("the later Litha") with an intercalary third month of līða on leap years or Triliði ("three-Litha" years). In modern times, Litha

2619-415: Is shocked by Jean and Miss Julie's planning and unmoved when Miss Julie asks her to come along with them as head of the kitchen of the hotel. Christine explains to Miss Julie about God and forgiveness and heads off for church, telling them as she leaves that she will tell the stablemasters not to let them take out any horses so that they cannot run off. Shortly after, they receive word that Miss Julie's father,

2716-799: Is sung at most bonfires on this evening. Jaanipäev ("Jaan's Day" or "Midsummer Day" in English or "St. John's Day" for Christians) was celebrated long before the arrival of Christianity in Estonia , although the day was given its modern name by Christians. The day is still known by its many names as: leedopäev , suvine pööripäiv , suvepööripäev , püäripääv , päevakäänak , päiväkäänäk , päiväkäändjäne , päevapesa , pesapäev and suured päevad . The arrival of Christianity, however, did not end pagan beliefs and fertility rituals surrounding this holiday. In 1578, Balthasar Russow wrote in his Livonian Chronicle about Estonians who placed more importance on

2813-452: Is that they are "an emblem of St. John the Baptist, who was 'a burning and shining light,' and the preparer of the way of Christ." The fires were also believed to repel witches and evil spirits . On St John's Day in 1333, Petrarch watched women at Cologne rinsing their hands and arms in the Rhine "so that the threatening calamities of the coming year might be washed away by bathing in

2910-535: Is traditionally performed by shepherds. In Austria, the Midsummer solstice is celebrated each year with a procession of ships down the Danube River as it flows through the wine-growing Wachau Valley north of Vienna. Up to 30 ships sail down the river in line as fireworks erupt from the banks and hill tops while bonfires blaze and the vineyards are lit up. Lighted castle ruins also erupt with fireworks during

3007-452: Is widely known for its many adaptations. In season 3 of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel , Sophie Lennon (played by Jane Lynch ) plays the titular character in a disastrous adaptation of the play. Darwinism Darwinism is a term used to describe a theory of biological evolution developed by the English naturalist Charles Darwin (1809–1882) and others. The theory states that all species of organisms arise and develop through

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3104-586: The Portuguese during the colonial period (1500–1822), are celebrated throughout the country during the month of June. The festival is mainly celebrated on the eves of the Catholic solemnities of Saint Anthony , Saint John the Baptist , and Saint Peter . As the Northeast of Brazil is largely arid or semi-arid , these festivals not only coincide with the end of the rainy seasons in most states of

3201-504: The ancient Roman world , the traditional date of the summer solstice was 24 June, and Marcus Terentius Varro wrote in the 1st century BC that Romans saw this as the middle of summer. In the city of Rome, it was the festival of the goddess Fors Fortuna . People thronged the River Tiber and rowed in boats to the temples of Fortuna; "after undisclosed rituals they rowed back, garlanded and inebriated". Sandra Billington says there

3298-516: The midnight sun . Because of Finland's location around the Arctic Circle the nights near Midsummer day are short (with twilight even at midnight) or non-existent. This gives a great contrast to the darkness of the winter time. The temperature can vary between 0 °C and +30 °C, with an average of about 20 °C in the South. Many Finns leave the cities for Midsummer and spend time in

3395-406: The modern synthesis in the early 20th century, incorporating natural selection with population genetics and Mendelian genetics , revived Darwinism in an updated form. While the term Darwinism has remained in use amongst the public when referring to modern evolutionary theory, it has increasingly been argued by science writers such as Olivia Judson , Eugenie Scott , and Carl Safina that it

3492-508: The natural selection of small, inherited variations that increase the individual's ability to compete, survive, and reproduce . Also called Darwinian theory , it originally included the broad concepts of transmutation of species or of evolution which gained general scientific acceptance after Darwin published On the Origin of Species in 1859, including concepts which predated Darwin's theories. English biologist Thomas Henry Huxley coined

3589-433: The sociobiological explanation of altruism as an evolutionary feature was presented in such a way that the argument was effectively immune to any criticism. English philosopher Simon Blackburn wrote a rejoinder to Stove, though a subsequent essay by Stove's protégé James Franklin suggested that Blackburn's response actually "confirms Stove's central thesis that Darwinism can 'explain' anything." In more recent times,

3686-462: The "fern seed", marking a treasure. In the old days, maidens would use special charms and bend over a well, naked, in order to see their future husband's reflection. In another tradition that continues still today, an unmarried woman collects seven different flowers and places them under her pillow to dream of her future husband. An important feature of the midsummer in Finland is the white night and

3783-536: The 'growing days', it was fitting that John the Baptist's should take place on the 'lessening days' ('diebus decrescentibus'), for the Baptist himself had proclaimed that 'he must increase; but I must decrease' (John 3:30). By the late sixth century, the Nativity of John the Baptist (24 June) had become an important feast, counterbalancing at midsummer the midwinter feast of Christmas. Within Christian theology , John

3880-524: The 13th century AD, in the Liber Memorandum of the parish church at Barnwell in the Nene Valley , which stated that parish youth would gather on the day to light fires, sing songs and play games. A Christian monk of Lilleshall Abbey , in the same century, wrote: In the worship of St John, men waken at even, and maken three manner of fires: one is clean bones and no wood, and is called

3977-591: The 1950s, moved to the Friday and Saturday between 19 June and 26 June, respectively. The summer solstice is celabrated by Albanians often with the name Shën Gjini – Shën Gjoni ("Saint John"), but also with the name Festa e Malit or Festa e Bjeshkës ("Mountain Feast"), as well as Festa e Blegtorisë ("Livestock Feast"). It is associated with the production in agricultural and livestock activities. To celebrate this feast, bonfires are traditionally lit where straw

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4074-564: The 2008 documentary film Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed , which promotes intelligent design (ID), American writer and actor Ben Stein refers to scientists as Darwinists. Reviewing the film for Scientific American , John Rennie says "The term is a curious throwback, because in modern biology almost no one relies solely on Darwin's original ideas ... Yet the choice of terminology isn't random: Ben Stein wants you to stop thinking of evolution as an actual science supported by verifiable facts and logical arguments and to start thinking of it as

4171-531: The 90-minute cruise downstream. On Midsummer day, Bulgarians celebrate Enyovden. On the same day, the Eastern Orthodox church celebrates the day of John the Baptist and the rites and traditions of both holidays are often mixed. A fire-related ritual may also be performed in Bulgaria on that day; it involves barefoot dance on smoldering embers and is called Nestinarstvo . Bulgarian folklore states

4268-518: The Americas aligned with sunrise or sunset on the summer solstice. The name 'midsummer' is attested in Old English as midsumor , and refers to the time around the summer solstice. Astronomically, the solstice falls on 20, 21 or 22 June, but traditionally, in northern Europe, the solstice and midsummer was reckoned as the night of 23–24 June, with summer beginning on May Day . Likewise, in

4365-545: The Australian moral philosopher and professor Peter Singer , who serves as the Ira ;W. DeCamp Professor of Bioethics at Princeton University , has proposed the development of a "Darwinian left " based on the contemporary scientific understanding of biological anthropology , human evolution , and applied ethics in order to achieve the establishment of a more equal and cooperative human society in accordance with

4462-401: The Baptist "was understood to be preparing the way for Jesus", with John 3:30 stating "He must increase, but I must decrease"; this is symbolized in the fact that the sun's height in the sky and length of the day "begins to diminish" after the summer solstice and begins to increase after the winter solstice. By the 6th century AD, several churches were dedicated to Saint John the Baptist and

4559-402: The Baptist baptised Christ in the River Jordan." On Saint John's Eve and Saint John's Day, churches arrange Saint John's worship services and family reunions also occur, which are an occasion for drinking and eating. In 1885, Holger Drachmann wrote a midsommervise (Midsummer hymn) called "Vi elsker vort land..." ("We Love Our Country") with a melody composed by P.E. Lange-Müller that

4656-439: The Count, has returned. At this, both lose courage and find themselves unable to go through with their plans. Miss Julie realizes that she has nothing to her name, as her thoughts and emotions were taught to her by her mother and her father. She asks Jean if he knows of any way out for her. He takes a shaving razor and hands it to her. The play ends as she walks through the door with the razor, presumably to commit suicide. The work

4753-494: The Finnish god Ukko . After the celebrations were Christianized , the holiday became known as juhannus after John the Baptist (Finnish: Johannes Kastaja ). Since 1955, the holiday has always been on a Saturday (between 20 June and 26 June). Previously it was always on 24 June. Many of the celebrations of midsummer take place on Friday, midsummer eve, when many workplaces are closed and shops may close their doors at noon. In

4850-423: The Finnish midsummer celebration, bonfires (Finnish kokko ) are very common and are burned at lakesides and by the sea. Often branches from birch trees ( koivu ) are placed on both side of the front door to welcome visitors. Swedish-speaking Finns often celebrate by erecting a midsummer or maypole (Swedish midsommarstång , majstång ). Some Swedish-speaking Finns call the holiday Johannes or Johanni after

4947-520: The Finnish term juhannus – or more accurately after the Biblical John the Baptist (="Johannes Döparen" in Swedish). In folk magic, midsummer was a very potent night and the time for many small rituals, mostly for young maidens seeking suitors and fertility. Will-o'-the-wisps were believed to appear at midsummer night, particularly to finders of the mythical " fern in bloom " and possessors of

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5044-545: The Northern Hemisphere, it was traditionally reckoned to fall on 23–24 June in much of Europe. These dates were Christianized as Saint John's Eve and Saint John's Day . It is usually celebrated with outdoor gatherings that include bonfires and feasting. There is evidence that the summer solstice has been culturally important since the Neolithic era, with many ancient monuments throughout Eurasia and

5141-650: The United Kingdom ( Cornwall especially), as well as other parts of the world: Canada, the United States, Puerto Rico, and also in the Southern Hemisphere (mostly in Brazil, Argentina and Australia). In Estonia , Latvia , Lithuania and Quebec (Canada), the traditional Midsummer day, 24 June, is a public holiday . So it was formerly also in Sweden and Finland , but in these countries it was, in

5238-479: The United Kingdon, creationists often use the term "Darwinism" as a pejorative term in reference to beliefs such as scientific materialism . Huxley, upon first reading Darwin's theory in 1858, responded, "How extremely stupid not to have thought of that!" While the term Darwinism had been used previously to refer to the work of Erasmus Darwin in the late 18th century, the term as understood today

5335-525: The beginning of summer starts on Enyovden. It is thought that in the morning of Enyovden, when the sun rises, it "winks' and "plays". Anyone seeing the sunrise will be healthy throughout the year. It is believed that on Enyovden a variety of herbs have the greatest healing power, and that this is especially true at sunrise. Therefore, they have to be picked early in the morning before dawn. Women – sorceresses and enchantresses – go to gather herbs by themselves to cure and make charms. The number of herbs gathered for

5432-522: The belief and acceptance of Darwin's and of his predecessors' work, in place of other concepts, including divine design and extraterrestrial origins . English biologist Thomas Henry Huxley coined the term Darwinism in April 1860. It was used to describe evolutionary concepts in general, including earlier concepts published by English philosopher Herbert Spencer . Many of the proponents of Darwinism at that time, including Huxley, had reservations about

5529-636: The best-known Jaanik or midsummer ritual is the lighting of the bonfire and jumping over it. This is seen as a way of guaranteeing prosperity and avoiding bad luck. Likewise, to not light the fire is to invite the destruction of your house by fire. The fire also frightened away mischievous spirits who avoided it at all costs, thus ensuring a good harvest. So, the bigger the fire, the further the mischievous spirits stayed away. Estonian midsummer traditions are most similar to Finnish midsummer traditions but also have some similarities with Latvian, Lithuanian and Scandinavian traditions. Estonians celebrate Jaaniõhtu on

5626-549: The birtue that a great fire hat to purge the infection of the air. On the vigil of St John Baptist and St Peter and Paul the Apostles, every man's door being shadowed with green birch, long fennel, St John's Wort, Orpin, white lillies and such like, garnished upon with garlands of beautiful flowers, had also lamps of glass, with oil burinin in them all night, some hung branches of iron curiously wrought, containing hundreds of lamps lit at once, which made goodly show. Saint John's Day

5723-523: The boys collect bones and certain other rubbish, and burn them, and therefrom a smoke is produced on the air. They also make brands and go about the fields with the brands. Thirdly, the wheel which they roll. ... The wheel is rolled to signify that the sun then rises to the highest point of its circle and at once turns back Saint John's Fires, explained the monk of Winchcombe, were to drive away dragons , which were abroad on St John's Eve, poisoning springs and wells. A Christian interpretation of midsummer fires

5820-451: The capital. Miss Julie agrees and steals some of her father's money, but angers Jean when she insists on bringing her little bird along saying that the bird is the only creature that loves her, after her dog Diana was "unfaithful" to her. When Miss Julie insists that she would rather kill the bird than see it in the hands of strangers, Jean cuts off its head. In the midst of this confusion, Christine comes downstairs, ready to go to church. She

5917-494: The censors announced during the dress rehearsal that Miss Julie would be forbidden. However, Strindberg managed to get around the censors by having Miss Julie premiere a few days later at the Copenhagen University Student Union. Miss Julie: Strong-willed daughter of the Count who owns the estate. Raised by her late mother to "think like and act like a man," she is a confused individual: she

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6014-440: The count's gloves and boots. Christine (or Kristine): The cook in the Count's household. She is devoutly religious and apparently betrothed to Jean, although they refer to this marriage almost jokingly. The Count: Miss Julie's father. He is never seen, but his gloves and his boots are on stage, serving as a reminder of his power. When a bell sounds, his presence is also noted more strongly. The play opens with Jean walking on

6111-434: The dynamic traumas of her family histories. In utilizing the naturalistic style, the author goes against the dominant theatrical idea that says that characters should be written with only one primary motivation. Miss Julie is preceded by an author's preface, which is considered a significant manifesto of naturalism in the theatre. In it Strindberg states that the source of the play is an actual story he once heard, which made

6208-494: The eve of the Summer Solstice (23 June) with bonfires. On the islands of Saaremaa and Hiiumaa , old fishing boats may be burned in the large pyres set ablaze. On Jaaniõhtu , Estonians all around the country will gather with their families, or at larger events to celebrate this important day with singing and dancing, as Estonians have done for centuries. The celebrations that accompany Jaaniõhtu carry on usually through

6305-634: The evening before, known as Saint John's Eve . These are commemorated by many Christian denominations , such as the Roman Catholic Church , Lutheran Churches , and Anglican Communion , as well as by freemasonry . In Sweden , Midsummer is such an important festivity that there have been proposals to celebrate the National Day of Sweden then, instead of on 6 June. There and in Finland , Estonia , Latvia and Lithuania , Midsummer

6402-427: The festival days with meats and drinks plentifully, whereunto they would invite their neighbours and passengers also to sit, and to be merry with them in great familiarity, praising God for his benefits bestowed on them. These were called bonfires as well of good amity amongst neighbours that, being before at controversy, were there by the labour of others reconciled, and made of bitter enemies, loving friends, as also for

6499-446: The festival than going to church. He complained about those who went to church, but did not enter, and instead spent their time lighting bonfires, drinking, dancing, singing and following pagan rituals. Midsummer marks a change in the farming year, specifically the break between the completion of spring sowing and the hard work of summer hay-making. Understandably, some of the rituals of Jaanipäev have very strong folkloric roots. One of

6596-587: The first French colonists. Great fires were lit at night. According to the Jesuit Relations , the first celebrations of St John's Day in New France took place around 1638. In 1834, Ludger Duvernay , printer and editor of La Minerve took the leadership of an effort to make 24 June the national holiday of the Canadiens ( French Canadians ). In 1908, Pope Pius X designated John the Baptist as

6693-496: The holiday with rituals culled from numerous other unrelated sources. At the ancient monument of Stonehenge , in the English county of Wiltshire, many people gather to observe the sunrise alignment with the stones on the summer solstice. In Neo-druidism , the term Alban Hefin is used for the summer solstice, as coined by the 18th century Welsh Romantic author and prolific literary forger Iolo Morganwg . Germanic neopagans call their summer solstice festival Litha , which

6790-467: The humiliation of breaking her engagement, she stayed behind to mingle with the servants at the dance instead of going with her father to the Midsummer's Eve celebrations. Miss Julie got rid of her fiancé seemingly because he refused her demand that he jump over a riding whip she was holding. The incident, apparently witnessed by Jean, was similar to training a dog to jump through a hoop. Jean takes out

6887-472: The imagery of scripture. The Baptist was conceived six months before Christ (Luke 1:76); he was not himself the light, but was to give testimony concerning the light (John 1:8–9). Thus John's conception was celebrated on the eighth kalends of October (24 September: near the autumn equinox) and his birth on the eighth kalends of July (24 June: near the Summer solstice). If Christ's conception and birth took place on

6984-714: The more prominent approaches, summed in the 1864 phrase " survival of the fittest " by Herbert Spencer, later became emblematic of Darwinism even though Spencer's own understanding of evolution (as expressed in 1857) was more similar to that of Jean-Baptiste Lamarck than to that of Darwin, and predated the publication of Darwin's theory in 1859. What is now called " Social Darwinism " was, in its day, synonymous with "Darwinism"—the application of Darwinian principles of "struggle" to society, usually in support of anti- philanthropic political agenda. Another interpretation, one notably favoured by Darwin's half-cousin Francis Galton ,

7081-545: The night, they are the largest and most important of the year, and the traditions are almost identical to Finland (read under Finland) and similar to neighbors Latvia, Lithuania and Sweden (read under Sweden). Jaanipäev is usually spent in a summer cottage, where people light bonfires, or at a festival, such as Pühajärve Jaanituli in Otepää . Since 1934, 23 June is also national Victory Day of Estonia and both 23rd and 24th are holidays and flag flying days . The Estonian flag

7178-412: The orbit of Darwinism should be a little too circular? What if species should offer residual phenomena, here and there, not explicable by natural selection? Twenty years hence naturalists may be in a position to say whether this is, or is not, the case; but in either event they will owe the author of "The Origin of Species" an immense debt of gratitude.... And viewed as a whole, we do not believe that, since

7275-605: The patron saint of the French-Canadians. In 1925, 24 June became a legal holiday in Quebec and in 1977, it became the secular National Holiday of Quebec . It is still the tradition to light great fires on the night of 24 June. In Denmark , the solstitial celebration is called sankthans or sankthansaften ("St. John's Eve"). It was an official holiday until 1770, and in accordance with the Danish tradition of celebrating

7372-568: The play itself. Strindberg wrote this play with the intention of abiding by the theories of "naturalism"–both his own version, and also the version described by the French novelist and literary theoretician Émile Zola . Zola's term for naturalism is la nouvelle formule . The three primary principles of naturalism ( faire vrai, faire grand and faire simple ) are: Strindberg believed that French playwrights had been unable to achieve naturalism in their writings, and he felt that he could. Miss Julie

7469-522: The publication of Von Baer's "Researches on Development," thirty years ago, any work has appeared calculated to exert so large an influence, not only on the future of Biology, but in extending the domination of Science over regions of thought into which she has, as yet, hardly penetrated. These are the basic tenets of evolution by natural selection as defined by Darwin: "Darwinism" soon came to stand for an entire range of evolutionary (and often revolutionary) philosophies about both biology and society. One of

7566-472: The region but also offer people the opportunity to thank Saint John for the rain. They also celebrate rural life and feature typical clothing, food, and dances (mainly the quadrille ). In Newfoundland and Labrador , St. John's Day is observed on the Monday nearest 24 June and commemorates John Cabot 's discovery of Newfoundland in 1497. In Quebec , the celebration of 24 June was brought to New France by

7663-498: The river." In 1482 Paul Walther, a German Franciscan friar, provided an early documentation of the Albanian traditional practice of lighting fires ( zjarre ) on Saint John's eve. In the 16th century AD, the English historian John Stow , described the celebration of Midsummer: the wealthier sort also before their doors near to the said bonfires would set out tables on the vigils furnished with sweet bread and good drink, and on

7760-457: The role of Charles Darwin as opposed to others in the history of evolutionary thought —particularly contrasting Darwin's results with those of earlier theories such as Lamarckism or later ones such as the modern evolutionary synthesis. In political discussions in the United States , the term is mostly used by its enemies. Biologist E. O. Wilson at Harvard University described the term as being "a rhetorical device to make evolution seem like

7857-410: The same household because he feels they will be tempted to continue their relationship until they are caught. Now he confesses that he was only pretending when he said he had tried to commit suicide out of love of her. Furiously, Miss Julie tells him of how her mother raised her to be submissive to no man. They then decide to run away together to start a hotel, with Jean running it and Miss Julie providing

7954-563: The shores of lakes and other waterways, parks, etc.) Bonfires are lit in order to repel witches and other evil spirits , with the burnings sending the "witch" away to Bloksbjerg, the Brocken mountain in the Harz region of Germany where the great witch gathering was thought to be held on this day. Some Danes regard this tradition of burning witches as inappropriate. In Scandinavia, young people visited holy springs as "a reminder of how John

8051-462: The significance of natural selection, and Darwin himself gave credence to what was later called Lamarckism . The strict neo-Darwinism of German evolutionary biologist August Weismann gained few supporters in the late 19th century. During the approximate period of the 1880s to about 1920, sometimes called " the eclipse of Darwinism ", scientists proposed various alternative evolutionary mechanisms which eventually proved untenable. The development of

8148-464: The sociobiological explanation of altruism. In evolutionary aesthetics theory, there is evidence that perceptions of beauty are determined by natural selection and therefore Darwinian; that things, aspects of people and landscapes considered beautiful are typically found in situations likely to give enhanced survival of the perceiving human's genes . [REDACTED] Evolutionary biology portal Midsummer%27s Eve Midsummer

8245-467: The stage, the set being the kitchen of the manor. He drops the Count's boots off to the side but still within view of the audience; his clothing shows that he is a valet. Jean talks to Christine about Miss Julie's peculiar behavior. He considers her mad since she went to the barn dance, danced with the gamekeeper, and tried to waltz with Jean, a mere servant of the Count. Christine delves into Miss Julie's background, stating how, unable to face her family after

8342-479: The term Darwinism in April 1860. Darwinism subsequently referred to the specific concepts of natural selection, the Weismann barrier , or the central dogma of molecular biology . Though the term usually refers strictly to biological evolution, creationists have appropriated it to refer to the origin of life or to cosmic evolution , that are distinct to biological evolution, and therefore consider it to be

8439-472: The term "Darwinism" in a different sense from the above examples. Describing himself as non-religious and as accepting the concept of natural selection as a well-established fact, Stove nonetheless attacked what he described as flawed concepts proposed by some "Ultra-Darwinists". Stove alleged that by using weak or false ad hoc reasoning, these Ultra-Darwinists used evolutionary concepts to offer explanations that were not valid: for example, Stove suggested that

8536-445: The term to exclude those like American botanist Asa Gray who combined Christian faith with support for Darwin's natural selection theory, before answering the question posed in the book's title by concluding: "It is Atheism." Creationists use pejoratively the term Darwinism to imply that the theory has been held as true only by Darwin and a core group of his followers, whom they cast as dogmatic and inflexible in their belief. In

8633-519: The term. The term Darwinism is often used in the United States by promoters of creationism , notably by leading members of the intelligent design movement , as an epithet to attack evolution as though it were an ideology (an "ism") based on philosophical naturalism , atheism , or both. For example, in 1993, UC Berkeley law professor and author Phillip E. Johnson made this accusation of atheism with reference to Charles Hodge 's 1874 book What Is Darwinism? However, unlike Johnson, Hodge confined

8730-444: The title role, and she would also be the artistic director. After Strindberg agreed to a small amount of censorship, the play was published a few weeks before the first production. (The first English translations also contain these censored excisions. For example, the first audiences were spared the shock of hearing Miss Julie, in an angry moment, compare making love to Jean to an act of bestiality.) With disastrous timing for new theater,

8827-471: The winter must be seventy-seven and a half – for all diseases, known and unknown. Festa Juninas , June Festival in Brazil, also known as São João Festivals because they celebrate the nativity of Saint John the Baptist (24 June), are annual Brazilian celebrations adapted from the European summer solstice, which occurs in the middle of the southern hemisphere's winter. These festivities, introduced by

8924-415: Was advocating a "pure theory of natural selection to the exclusion of any supplementary theory." Taking influence from Darwin, Romanes was a proponent of both natural selection and the inheritance of acquired characteristics . The latter was denied by Wallace who was a strict selectionist. Romanes' definition of Darwinism conformed directly with Darwin's views and was contrasted with Wallace's definition of

9021-613: Was introduced when Charles Darwin's 1859 book On the Origin of Species was reviewed by Thomas Henry Huxley in the April 1860 issue of The Westminster Review . Having hailed the book as "a veritable Whitworth gun in the armoury of liberalism" promoting scientific naturalism over theology , and praising the usefulness of Darwin's ideas while expressing professional reservations about Darwin's gradualism and doubting if it could be proved that natural selection could form new species, Huxley compared Darwin's achievement to that of Nicolaus Copernicus in explaining planetary motion: What if

9118-415: Was set exactly six months earlier. Christ's Incarnation was closely tied to the 'growing days' ( diebus crescentibus ) of the solar cycle around which the Roman year was based. By the sixth century, this solar cycle was completed by balancing Christ's conception and birth against the conception and birth of his cousin, John the Baptist. Such a relationship between Christ and his cousin was amply justified by

9215-421: Was that "Darwinism" implied that because natural selection was apparently no longer working on "civilized" people, it was possible for "inferior" strains of people (who would normally be filtered out of the gene pool ) to overwhelm the "superior" strains, and voluntary corrective measures would be desirable—the foundation of eugenics . In Darwin's day there was no rigid definition of the term "Darwinism", and it

9312-462: Was thought to be dangerous. At this point Jean and Miss Julie notice some servants heading up to the house, singing a song that mocks the pair of them. They hide in Jean's room. Although Jean swears he won't take advantage of her there, when they emerge later it becomes clear that the two have had sex. Now they are forced to figure out how to deal with it, as Jean theorizes that they can no longer live in

9409-502: Was used by opponents and proponents of Darwin's biological theory alike to mean whatever they wanted it to in a larger context. The ideas had international influence, and Ernst Haeckel developed what was known as Darwinismus in Germany, although, like Spencer's "evolution", Haeckel's "Darwinism" had only a rough resemblance to the theory of Charles Darwin, and was not centred on natural selection. In 1886, Alfred Russel Wallace went on

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