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Guan Yu (Wade-Giles spelling: Kuan Yu) (died 219) was a general serving under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han Dynasty of China. He played a significant role in the civil war that led to The Collapse of the Han Dynasty and the establishment of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period, of which Liu Bei was the first emperor. Guan Yu: Dharma Protecting deity who helps practitioners with worldly matters. Historically, he was a legendary military general (160-219 CE), loyal to Emperor Liu Bei. Also known as the "Lord with the Magnificent Beard," he is usually depicted with a red face (symbolizing extreme courage and loyalty) and holding a long-handled sword known as a "guandao." He is regarded as a Taoist saint and god of war and martial arts. After he died he sought refuge with a Buddhist master and quickly obtained liberation whereupon he became a protector of the Dharma
As one of the best known Chinese historical figures throughout East Asia, Guan's true life stories have largely given way to fictionalized ones, mostly found in the historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms or passed down the generations, in which his deeds and moral qualities have been lionized. Guan is respected as an epitome of loyalty and righteousness.
Guan was deified as early as the Sui Dynasty and is still worshipped by many Chinese people today, especially in southern China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong and their descendants overseas. He is a figure in Chinese folk religion, popular Confucianism, Taoism, and Chinese Buddhism, and small shrines to Guan are almost ubiquitous in traditional Chinese shops and restaurants.
Guan is traditionally portrayed as a red-faced warrior with a long lush beard. While his beard was mentioned in the Records of Three Kingdoms, the idea of his red face may have derived from a later description of him in Chapter One of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, where the following passage appears:
"Xuande (Liu Bei's style name) took a glance at the man, who stood at a height of nine chi, and had a two chi long beard; his face was of the color of a zao, with red lips; his eyes were like that of a phoenix's, and his eyebrows resembled silkworms. He had a dignified aura and looked quite majestic."
Alternatively, the idea of his red face could have been borrowed from opera representation, where red faces depict loyalty and righteousness. Supposedly, Guan's weapon was a guan dao named Green Dragon Crescent Blade, which resembled a halberd and was said to weigh 82 catties (about 18.25 kg or 40 lbs). A wooden replica can be found today in the Emperor Guan Temple in Xiezhou County, China. He traditionally dons a green robe over his body armour, as depicted in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
Statue of Guan Yu in Zhuge Liang's temple in Chengdu
Guan Yu was born in Xie County, Hedong (present day Yuncheng (运城市), Shanxi). No details of the time of his birth are found in historical records until the late Qing Dynasty, when the tomb of Guan Yu was discovered, bearing some details of his family. It was written that Guan Yu was actually born from a family of scholars. His grandfather's name was Guan Shen. His father's name was Guan Yi. Guan Yu was born in the year 160, and like his ancestors, often read the classics Book of Changes and Spring and Autumn Annals. He married Lady Hu and his son Guan Ping was born in 178.
Guan Yu fled his hometown at the age of 23, after slaying a local despot named Lü Xiong (呂熊). Five years later, he arrived in Zhuo Commandery (present day Zhuozhou, Hebei). He met Liu Bei, who was recruiting volunteers to form a civilian army to suppress the Yellow Turbans Rebellion. Together with Zhang Fei, Guan Yu joined Liu Bei and participated actively in fighting the Yellow Turban rebels in northern China.
When Liu Bei was appointed as the governor of Pingyuan County, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were made "Senior Major" (别部司马) under Liu. According to Records of Three Kingdoms, the relationship of the three men was described to be as close as brothers. They slept in the same room and had their meals together, behaving as though they were real brothers. Guan Yu and Zhang Fei followed Liu Bei most of the time wherever he went and protected him from danger regardless of how perilous the situation was.
In 199, Liu Bei attacked Xu Province with an army after gaining independence from the warlord Cao Cao. He killed Che Zhou, the governor of Xu Province, and placed Guan Yu in charge of the regional capital city of Xiapi. Liu Bei returned to the city of Xiaopei.  Shortly after, Cao Cao personally led a campaign to reclaim Xu Province from Liu Bei and defeated him in battle.  Liu Bei fled to Hebei and joined the warlord Yuan Shao. Xiapi fell and Guan Yu was captured by Cao Cao's men. Cao Cao treated Guan Yu respectfully, and Guan surrendered to him under conditions. Guan Yu was appointed by Cao Cao as a Lieutenant General.
Service under Cao Cao
In 200, Yuan Shao mustered an army of about 100,000 and started a campaign against Cao Cao, which subsequently culminated in the Battle of Guandu. To ensure a safe crossing of the Yellow River, Yuan Shao sent his general Yan Liang to attack Boma (northeast of present day Hua County, Henan), in order to claim a foothold on the southern bank of the Yellow River. Using a diversionary tactic, Cao Cao moved his main force westward towards Yan Ford along the river. Yuan Shao withdrew his troops from Baima and Cao Cao's forces struck back eastward to relieve the siege on Baima. Guan Yu and Zhang Liao led the vanguard, and attacked Yuan Shao's remaining troops at Baima. Identifying Yan Liang's parasol, Guan Yu slew Yan Liang in the midst of battle and brought back Yan's severed head.
On recommendation of Cao Cao, Guan Yu was conferred the title of "Marquis of Hanshou" (漢壽亭侯) in recognition of his effort in Boma. After that, Guan Yu left for Hebei to rejoin Liu Bei, who was currently in Yuan Shao's camp. He did not take any of Cao Cao's gifts with him and left behind a farewell letter. Some of Cao Cao's subordinates wanted to pursue Guan Yu and bring him back but Cao stopped them, saying "We are only serving different lords, let him go."
Battle of Red Cliffs
Guan Yu captures Pang De, a Ming Dynasty painting by Shang Xi, c. 1430
After the Battle of Guandu, Liu Bei was defeated at the Battle of Runan by Cao Cao and forced to flee south. He sought Refuge under the Jing Province governor Liu Biao. Liu Bei and his forces were placed in charge of the city of Xinye by Liu Biao.
In 208, Cao Cao initiated a southern campaign and seized control of parts of Jing Province north of the Yangtze River. Liu Biao had died of illness then and was succeeded by his son, Liu Cong, who surrendered to Cao Cao. Jing Province was thrown into confusion, and Guan Yu was ordered by Liu Bei to lead a navy and sail to Jiangling. Meanwhile, Liu Bei led some 100,000 refugees south, but was caught up by the elite cavalry of Cao Cao at Changban. Leaving his family and the populace behind, Liu Bei galloped away eastward to Han Ford, where he met up with Guan Yu's navy. Together, they sailed downstream to Xiakou to rendezvous with Liu Qi, who was the older son of Liu Biao. Liu Bei then successfully formed an alliance with the warlord Sun Quan, who held substantial influence in southeastern China, and the allies defeated Cao Cao at the Battle of Red Cliffs. As a result, the allied force pursued Cao Cao's forces to Jiangling.
Effort in the battle of Jiangling
During the Battle of Jiangling, Guan Yu was sent to block Cao Ren's supply lines via infiltration. He led a special force composed of navy and infantry, to go up the Han River, and attacked the city of Xiangyang, which was guarded by Yue Jin. Guan Yu was defeated by Yue Jin outside the city walls. However, Liu Bei became a powerful warlord as he was joined by Lei Xu (雷绪) and his troops numbering to tens of thousands, and soon conquered southern Jing Province without much resistance. Liu Bei promoted Guan Yu to the rank of "General Who Exterminates Rebels" (蕩寇將軍) and appointed him as the governor of the city of Xiangyang. Backed by Liu Bei, Guan Yu led a force to Xiakou to fight Yue Jin and Wen Ping, but was repelled by his rivals. Wen Ping trailed Guan Yu to Han Ford, in which he had Guan's food storage burnt to the ground. As a result, Guan Yu attempted to recuperate at Jingcheng (荆城); however, his pursuer would not allow him to rest, and Guan was forced to fight a naval battle with Wen Ping, which resulted in a total destruction of the navy. Later, Guan Yu set up some layers of blockades to prevent Li Tong from reinforcing Jiangling, but Li removed the blockades and fought his way through. Guan Yu ordered a retreat and Li Tong managed to enter Jiangling.
After almost a year of fighting, Cao Cao could no longer afford continuous loss of materiel and labor in the siege, and ordered Cao Ren to withdraw from Jiangling fortress. Liu Bei convinced Sun Quan to lend him Nan Commandery, and stationed Guan Yu in its capital city, Jiangling. In 213, Liu Bei left for Yi Province (covering the Sichuan Basin) and wrestled control of the land from Liu Zhang after two years. Since then, Guan Yu had been the leading figure of Jing Province. Most of the Liu Bei's forces went to Yi Province when Liu was experiencing difficulty in his invasion, while Guan Yu and part of Liu's forces remained in Jing Province.
Defeat and death
In 219, Guan Yu attacked the nearby enemy city of Fancheng (present-day Fancheng District, Xiangyang, Hubei), which was guarded by Cao Ren, and besieged it. In autumn, heavy showers in the region caused the Han River next to the city to overflow. The flood destroyed reinforcements troops from Cao Cao led by Yu Jin and Pang De. Both Yu Jin and Pang De were captured by Guan Yu in battle. However, reinforcements led by Xu Huang managed to force Guan Yu's troops to retreat.
At that time, Guan Yu realised that Sun Quan had secretly formed an alliance with Cao Cao and attacked Jing Province while he was attacking Fancheng. Mi Fang and Shi Ren, whom he left in charge of Jing Province, had surrendered to Sun Quan. When Guan Yu's troops received news that their families in Jing Province had fallen into the control of Sun Quan, some of them started deserting and returning to Jing Province to reunite with their families.
Guan Yu's army was severely depleted due to the desertions so he attempted to retreat to Yi Province in the west but was surrounded and besieged by Sun Quan's forces at Maicheng (southeast of present day Dangyang, Hubei). Guan Yu attempted to break out of the encirclement with his son Guan Ping and subordinate Zhao Lei but failed. They were captured in Zhang Town (east of present-day Yuan'an County, Hubei) and executed by Sun Quan after refusing to surrender. Sun Quan sent Guan Yu's severed head to Cao Cao, who performed the proper funeral rites and buried Guan's head with full honours. In 260, Liu Shan gave Guan Yu the posthumous title of "Marquis Zhuangmou" (壯繆侯), which states that he does not live up to his name in terms of his ability.
Grandfather: Guan Shen (關審), style name Wenzhi (問之)
Father: Guan Yi (關毅), style name Daoyuan (道遠)
Spouse: Lady Hu (胡氏)
Guan Ping, oldest son of Guan Yu, served in Liu Bei's army and was executed along with his father by Sun Quan. He was an adopted son of Guan Yu in Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
Guan Xing, second son of Guan Yu, served as a civil officer in Shu
Lady Guan, daughter of Guan Yu. Her name was said to be "Guan Yinping" (關銀屏) in folk tales. Sun Quan once proposed a marriage between his son and her, but was refused by Guan Yu.
Guan Suo, alleged third son of Guan Yu in folklores, not mentioned in historical records.
Grandchildren:
Guan Tong, son of Guan Xing, married a princess, served as a general in Shu, did not have any children.
Guan Yi (關彝), son of Guan Xing, born to Guan Xing's concubine, succeeded Guan Tong and was killed during the turmoil caused by Zhong Hui.
According to Pei Songzhi's annotations in Records of Three Kingdoms, after the fall of Shu, Pang Hui (son of Pang De) massacred the Guan clan to avenge his father, who was put to death by Guan Yu.
Appointments and titles held
Senior Major (別部司馬)
Administrator of Xiapi (下邳太守)
Lieutenant General (偏將軍)
Marquis of Hanshou (漢壽亭侯)
Administrator of Xiangyang (襄陽太守)
General Who Rocks the Bandits (盪寇將軍)
General of the Vanguard (前將軍)
Marquis Zhuangmou (壯繆侯) - granted to Guan Yu posthumously
In fiction
Portrait of Guan Yu (behind) from a Qing Dynasty edition of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Luo Guanzhong's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms glorified Guan Yu by portraying him as a righteous and loyal warrior. Guan Yu was one of the most altered and aggrandised characters in the novel, which accounted for his popular image in Chinese society. The following are some significant stories involving Guan Yu from the novel:
In Chapter 1, Liu Bei, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei met in Zhuo County and took an oath of fraternity in the fabled Peach Garden, thus becoming sworn brothers. Guan Yu was ranked second in seniority among the three. The oath served as a guiding principle for Guan Yu and influenced much of his later life. Guan Yu held on to his oath until his death and was always loyal to his sworn brothers.
In Chapter 5, Guan Yu made his name by slaying the seemingly "undefeatable" warrior Hua Xiong in the campaign against Dong Zhuo. Later, the sworn brothers challenged the mighty warrior Lü Bu at the Battle of Hulao Pass and managed to force him to retreat even though they were unable to defeat him.
Short service under Cao Cao
In Chapter 25, Cao Cao attacked Liu Bei's territory of Xu Province and defeated Liu's army. The sworn brothers were temporarily separated. Guan Yu was in charge of defending Xiapi, where Liu Bei's wives were housed. Guan Yu was lured out of the city and besieged on a nearby knoll while the city fell to Cao Cao's troops. Cao Cao sent Zhang Liao to persuade Guan Yu to surrender. Guan Yu was worried about the safety of his sisters-in-law as he saw that as his responsibility. After much consideration, Guan Yu agreed to submit to Cao Cao on three conditions:
In name, Guan Yu submits to the Emperor Xian (who was actually a puppet ruler in Cao Cao's control) and not to Cao Cao.
Liu Bei's wives must not be harmed in any way. They must be treated with full respect and honour.
If Guan Yu discovers the whereabouts of Liu Bei (whose fate was unknown after the battle) one day, he will leave Cao Cao and reunite with his sworn brother.
Cao Cao agreed to the conditions although he felt uneasy about the last one. Guan Yu then submitted to Cao Cao and served Cao for a short period of time. Cao Cao treated Guan Yu with the utmost respect and bestowed upon him several gifts, luxuries and women, as well as the famous steed Red Hare, which once belonged to Lü Bu. Guan Yu was not very appreciative towards Cao Cao's other gifts, but when Cao gave him the steed, he knelt down and thanked Cao. When Cao Cao inquired the reason, Guan Yu replied, "Sir, I'm very grateful to you for the steed because with it, I can reach my sworn brother in a shorter period of time if I ever know where he is."
Also in Chapter 25, during the battle between the forces of Cao Cao and the warlord Yuan Shao on the banks of the Yellow River, Cao's generals were defeated by Yuan's general Yan Liang. Cao Cao wanted to send Guan Yu to challenge Yan Liang but he hesitated because he did not want Guan to make any contributions. Guan Yu had earlier said that he would show his gratitude towards Cao Cao by making some contributions during the period of time when he served Cao. Eventually, Cao Cao did send Guan Yu to fight Yan Liang and Guan emerged victorious, slaying Yan and returning with his opponent's head. In the following chapter, Wen Chou, another of Yuan Shao's generals, came to avenge Yan Liang. Wen Chou defeated a few of Cao Cao's best warriors, including Zhang Liao and Xu Huang. Guan Yu made another major contribution to Cao Cao again by slaying Wen Chou.
Crossing Five Passes and Slaying Six Generals
Mural of Guan Yu's Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles (千里走單騎) in the Summer Palace
In Chapter 26, Guan Yu finally received news that Liu Bei was alive and currently in Yuan Shao's camp. He decided to leave Cao Cao with Liu Bei's wives to rejoin his sworn brother. Guan Yu attempted to bid Cao Cao farewell in person before his departure but Cao did not give him the chance to do so. Frustrated, Guan Yu eventually wrote a farewell letter to Cao Cao and left. He took with him none of the luxuries and gifts Cao Cao gave him, except the Red Hare. He even gave up his title as Marquis of Hanshou by leaving behind his official seal. Cao Cao's subordinates felt that Guan Yu behaved far too rudely and arrogantly by leaving without bidding farewell and wanted to pursue him and bring him back. However, Cao Cao knew that no one could stop Guan Yu and he gave orders for the officials along the way to give passage to Guan.
Guan Yu rode beside the carriage carrying his sisters-in-law and escorted them safely all the way. The first pass they reached was Dongling Pass (south of present-day Dengfeng, Henan). The guarding officer Kong Xiu denied Guan Yu passage as Guan did not have any official permits with him. Infuriated, Guan Yu killed Kong Xiu and forced his way through the pass.
They next reached the city of Luoyang. The governor Han Fu led 1,000 men to block Guan Yu. Han Fu's deputy Meng Tan challenged Guan Yu to a duel but was sliced in two by Guan. While Guan Yu was fighting with Meng Tan, Han Fu secretly took aim and fired an arrow at Guan. The arrow hit Guan Yu's arm and wounded him, but Guan drew the arrow from the wound and proceeded to kill Han Fu. The shocked soldiers immediately gave way and Guan Yu's party passed through safely.
Guan Yu's party arrived at Sishui Pass (north of present-day Xingyang, Henan). The guarding officer Bian Xi received Guan Yu's party with a warm welcome and invited Guan to a feast at the temple outside the pass. In fact, Bian Xi had ordered 200 men to lie in ambush inside the temple and kill Guan Yu. Fortunately, one of the monks called Pujing, who was also from Guan Yu's hometown, hinted to Guan of the hidden danger. The ambush failed and Guan Yu killed Bian Xi and passed through Sishui Pass.
The governor of Xingyang, Wang Zhi, adopted a similar scheme to kill Guan Yu. Like Bian Xi, he pretended to be welcoming towards Guan Yu and led Guan's party to a courier station for them to settle in for the night. After that, Wang Zhi ordered his subordinate Hu Ban to lead 1,000 men to surround the station secretly and set fire to it in the middle of the night. Curious to know how Guan Yu looked like, Hu Ban stole a glance at Guan. Guan Yu noticed Hu Ban and invited him into the room. Guan Yu had met Hu Ban's father earlier and carried a letter with him. He gave the letter to Hu Ban and, after reading his father's letter, Hu Ban decided to help Guan Yu. Hu Ban revealed Wang Zhi's plot and opened the city gates secretly for Guan Yu and his party to leave. Wang Zhi caught up with the party a while later but Guan Yu turned back and killed him.
Guan Yu's party finally arrived at a ferry crossing on the southern bank of the Yellow River. Qin Qi, the officer in charge, refused to allow them to cross the river and was killed by Guan Yu in anger. Guan Yu and his party then crossed the river safely and entered Yuan Shao's domain. However, they soon realised that Liu Bei was no longer in Yuan Shao's territory and had already left for Runan. Guan Yu and his party then made their long journey back and were finally reunited with Liu Bei and Zhang Fei at Gucheng.
During this trip of crossing five passes, Guan Yu met many men who would become his subordinates and remain loyal to him until his death, including Liao Hua, Zhou Cang, and even his adoptive son Guan Ping.
Releasing Cao Cao at Huarong Trail
In Chapter 50, after his defeat at the Battle of Red Cliffs, Cao Cao made his escape with his surviving men towards the city of Jiangling. Liu Bei's strategist Zhuge Liang had foreseen Cao Cao's defeat and predicted Cao's escape route. He ordered Guan Yu to lead 5,000 men and lie in ambush along the Huarong Trail, a narrow shortcut in the woods leading towards Jiangling. Before his departure, Guan Yu made a military pledge that he would not spare Cao Cao's life on account of his past relationship with the warlord. If he failed to do so, he would face execution under military law. As expected, Cao Cao did pass through Huarong Trail after having met with several ambushes along his escape route.
Cao Cao and his men encountered Guan Yu and his army. Cao Cao spoke to Guan Yu and begged him to spare his life on account of their past relationship. Guan Yu was moved when he recalled the favours he received from Cao Cao while he was serving the warlord earlier for a short period of time. When he saw the plight of Cao Cao's defeated troops and Zhang Liao, whom he befriended when he serving Cao earlier, he decided to allow Cao and his men to leave. Upon his return, Guan Yu pleaded guilty to having violated the pledge he made earlier and expressed his willingness to accept execution. However, with the interference of Liu Bei and Zhang Fei, Zhuge Liang decided to pardon Guan Yu on account of his past contributions. It was later revealed that Zhuge Liang had expected Guan Yu to spare Cao Cao and his intention was actually to allow Cao to escape so as to hasten the formation of the Three Kingdoms, as detailed in his Longzhong Plan.
Hua Tuo treats Guan Yu's arm
A 19th century Japanese woodcut of Guan Yu by Utagawa Kuniyoshi. In this scene he is being attended to by the physician Hua Tuo while playing weiqi.
In Chapter 75, during a siege on Fancheng (present-day Fancheng District, Xiangyang, Hubei), Guan Yu's arm was wounded by a poison arrow fired by enemy crossbows. The arrow was promptly removed but the poison smeared on the arrowhead had already seeped through the wound into Guan Yu's arm. Guan Yu was unwilling to order a retreat so his subordinates had to send for a physician to treat his wound. The famous physician Hua Tuo appeared to treat Guan Yu's wound.
Hua Tuo diagnosed that he needed to perform surgery on Guan Yu's arm by cutting open the flesh and scraping off traces of poison on the bone. He also suggested that Guan Yu be blindfolded and have his arm secured tightly because the surgery would be performed in the absence of anesthesia and most patients were unable to bear with the excruciating pain. However, Guan Yu requested that the surgery be performed on the spot and he proceeded to continue a game of weiqi with Ma Liang during the surgery. Throughout the surgery, those watching nearby cringed as they watched the gory scene before them, but Guan Yu remained calm and did not show any sign of pain at all. Eventually, Hua Tuo managed to heal Guan Yu's wound and sewed it up after applying medication and then left with a great reward.
Enlightenment on Yuquan Hill
In Chapter 77, after Guan Yu's death at the hands of Sun Quan, his spirit roamed the land, crying out, "Return my head!" His spirit came to Yuquan Hill outside Dangyang County (present-day Dangyang, Hubei), and encountered Pujing, the Monk who saved his life several years ago at Sishui Pass. Pujing spoke to the spirit, "Now you ask for your head, but from whom should Yan Liang, Wen Chou, the pass guardians and many others ask for theirs?" Guan Yu's spirit was enlightened and disappeared, but henceforth it manifested itself around the hill and protected the locals from evil. The locals built a temple on the hill to worship the spirit.
The Buddhist monk Pujing was said to have built a grass hut for himself at the southeastern foot of Yuquan Hill during the last years of the Eastern Han Dynasty. The Yuquan Temple (玉泉寺), the oldest temple in the Dangyang region from where the worship of Guan Yu originated, was built on the exact location of the hut, and its construction was completed only until the Sui Dynasty.
In Chapter 77, after Sun Quan's general Lü Meng captured Jing Province and killed Guan Yu, Sun threw a banquet to celebrate the victory in honour of Lü Meng, who planned the attack. During the feast, Guan Yu's spirit possessed Lü Meng and seized Sun Quan. As the others rushed forward to save Sun Quan, the possessed Lü Meng swore vengeance before collapsing onto the floor and dying moments later. Sun Quan was terrified and he sent Guan Yu's head to Cao Cao, hoping to push the responsibility of Guan's death to Cao and sow discord between Liu Bei and Cao.
When Cao Cao opened the box containing Guan Yu's head, he saw that Guan's facial expressions resembled that of a living person. He smiled and spoke to the head, "I hope you are well since we last parted." To his horror, Guan Yu's head opened its eyes and mouth and the long beard and hairs stood on their ends. Cao Cao collapsed and did not regain consciousness until a long time later. When he came to, he exclaimed, "General Guan is truly a god from heaven!" Then he ordered the head to be buried with full honours befitting that of a noble.
Worship of Guan Yu
[[File:Xingtian Temple DSC02236.jpg|thumb|Burning of incense during the veneration of lord Guan Yu, Xingtian Temple)] Guan Yu was deified as early as the Sui Dynasty (581–618), and is still popularly worshipped today among the Chinese people. He is variedly worshiped as an indigenous Chinese deity, a Bodhisattva in Buddhist tradition and as a guardian deity in Taoism and many religious bodies. He is also held in high esteem in Confucianism. These roles are not necessarily contradictory or even distinguished within the Chinese religious system, which often merge multiple ancient philosophies and religions.
In the Western world, Guan Yu is sometimes called the Taoist God of War, probably because he is one of the most well-known military generals worshiped by the Chinese people. This is a misconception of his role, as, unlike the Greco-Roman deity Mars or the Norse god Týr, Guan Yu, as a god, does not necessarily bless those who go to battle but rather people who observe the code of brotherhood and righteousness.
General worship
A Guan Yu statue holding the guan dao in the right hand.
In general worship, Guan Yu is widely referred to as Emperor Guan (關帝), short for his Taoist title "Saintly Emperor Guan" (關聖帝君), and as "Guan Gong" (關公; literally "Lord Guan"). Temples and shrines dedicated exclusively to Guan can be found in parts of mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and other places with Chinese influence such as Vietnam, South Korea, and Japan. Some of these temples, such as the Emperor Guan Temple in Xiezhou (解州), Shanxi, were built exactly in the layout of a palace, befitting his status as an "emperor".
The apotheosis of Guan Yu occurred in stages, as he was given ever higher posthumous titles. Liu Shan, the second emperor of Shu, gave Guan Yu the posthumous title of "Marquis Zhuangmou" (壯繆侯) four decades after his death. During the Song Dynasty, Emperor Huizong bestowed upon Guan Yu the title of "Duke Zhonghui" (忠惠公), and later the title of a prince.  In 1187, during the reign of Emperor Xiaozong, Guan Yu was established as "Prince Zhuangmou Yiyong Wu'an Yingji" (壯繆義勇武安英濟王). After the Song Dynasty was annihilated by the Mongols, who established the Yuan Dynasty in China, Guan Yu was renamed "Prince of Xianling Yiyong Wu'an Yingji" (顯靈義勇武安英濟王) by Emperor Wenzong.
The escalation of Guan Yu's status to that of an emperor took place during the Ming Dynasty. In 1614, the Wanli Emperor bestowed on Guan Yu the title of "Saintly Emperor Guan the Great God Who Subdues Demons of the Three Worlds and Whose Awe Spreads Far and Moves Heaven" (三界伏魔大神威遠震天尊關聖帝君). During the Qing Dynasty, the Shunzhi Emperor gave Guan Yu the title of "Zhongyi Shenwu Great Saintly Emperor Guan" (忠義神武關聖大帝) in 1644. This title was expanded to "The Grand Emperor Zhongyi Shenwu Lingyou Renyong Weixian Huguo Baomin Jingcheng Suijing Yizan Xuande Guan Sheng Dadi" (仁勇威顯護國保民精誠綏靖翊贊宣德忠義神武關聖大帝), a total of 24 Chinese characters, by mid-19th century. This name is often shortened to "Saint of War" (武聖), which is of the same rank as Confucius, who was known as the "Saint of Culture" (文聖) during the same period. The Qing advancement of Guan Yu served to strengthen the loyalty of Mongol tribes, as the Mongols revered Guan as second only to their lamas.
Throughout history, Guan Yu has also been credited with many military successes. During the Ming Dynasty, his spirit was said to have aided Zhu Yuanzhang (founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty)'s fleet at the Battle of Lake Poyang. In 1402, Zhu Di launched a coup d'état and successfully deposed his nephew, the Jianwen Emperor. Zhu Di claimed that he was blessed by the spirit of Guan Yu. During the last decade of the 16th century, Guan Yu was also credited with the repulse of Japanese invasion of Korea by Toyotomi Hideyoshi (called the Seven-Year War of Korea). The ruling Manchu house of the Qing Dynasty was also associated with Guan Yu's martial qualities. During the 20th century, Guan Yu was worshipped by the warlord Yuan Shikai, president and later a short-lived emperor of China.
Today, Guan Yu is still widely worshiped by the Chinese, with many shrines to him are found in homes or businesses. In Hong Kong, a shrine for Guan is located in each police station. Though by no means mandatory, most Chinese policemen worship and pay respect to him. Although seemingly ironic, members of the triads and Heaven and Earth Society worship Guan as well. Statues used by triads tend to hold the halberd in the left hand, and statues in police stations tend to hold the halberd in the right hand. This signifies which side Guan Yu is worshiped, by the righteous people or vice versa. The appearance of Guan Yu's face for the triads is usually more stern and threatening than the usual statue. This exemplifies the Chinese belief that a code of honor, epitomized by Guan Yu, exists even in the underworld. In Hong Kong, Guan Yu is often referred to as "Yi Gor" (二哥, Cantonese for "second big brother") for he was second to Liu Bei in their fictional sworn brotherhood. Guan Yu is also worshipped by Chinese businessmen in Shanxi, Hong Kong, Macau and Southeast Asia as an alternative wealth god, since he is perceived to bless the upright and protect them from the wicked. Another reason being related to the release of Cao Cao during the Huarong Trail incident, in which he let Cao and his men pass through safely. For that, he was perceived to be able to extend the lifespan of people in need.
Among the Cantonese people who emigrated to California during the mid-19th century, the worship of Guan Yu was an important element. Statues and tapestry images of the god can be found in a number of historical California joss houses (a local term for Taoist temples), where his name may be given with various Anglicized spellings, including Kwan Dai, Kwan Tai, Kuan Ti, Kuan Kung, Wu Ti, Mo Dai, Guan Di, Kuan Yu, Kwan Yu, or Quan Yu. The Mendocino Joss House, a historical landmark also known as Mo Dai Miu, The Military God-King's Temple, or Temple of Kwan Tai, built in 1852, is a typical example of the small shrines erected to Guan Yu in America.
Worship in Taoism
Guan Yu is revered as "Saintly Emperor Guan" (simplified Chinese: 关圣帝君; traditional Chinese: 關聖帝君; pinyin: Gūanshèngdìjūn) and a leading subduer of demons in Taoism. Taoist worship of Guan Yu began during the Song Dynasty. Legend has it that during the second decade of the 12th century, the saltwater lake in present day Xiezhou County (解州鎮) gradually ceased to yield salt. Emperor Huizong then summoned Celestial Master Zhang Jixian (張繼先), 30th generation descendant of Zhang Daoling, to investigate the cause. The emperor was told that the disruption was the work of Chi You, a deity of war. Zhang Jixian then recruited the help of Guan Yu, who battled Chi You over the lake and triumphed, whereupon the lake resumed salt production. Emperor Huizong then bestowed upon Guan Yu the title of "Immortal of Chongning" (崇寧真君), formally introducing the latter as a deity into Taoism.
In the early Ming Dynasty, the 42nd Celestial Master Zhang Zhengchang (張正常) recorded the incident in his book Lineage of the Han Celestial Masters (漢天師世家), the first Taoist classic to affirm the legend. Today Taoism practices are predominant in Guan Yu worship. Many temples dedicated to Guan Yu, including the Emperor Guan Temple in Xiezhou County, show heavy Taoist influence. Every year, on the 24th day of the sixth month on the lunar calendar (legendary birthday of Guan Yu, Emperor Guan was actually born on the 22nd day of the sixth month of 160), a street parade in the honor of Emperor Guan would also be held.
Worship in Buddhism
Traditional Buddhist depiction of Guan Yu as Sangharama Bodhisattva.
In Chinese Buddhism, Guan Yu is revered by most practicing Buddhists as Sangharama Bodhisattva (simplified Chinese: 伽蓝菩萨; traditional Chinese: 伽藍菩薩,; pinyin: Qíelán Púsà) a heavenly protector of the Buddhist Dharma. Sangharama in Sanskrit means 'community garden' (Sangha, community + arama, garden) and thus 'monastery'. The term Sangharama also refer to the Dharmapala class of devas and spirits assigned to guard the Buddhist monastery, the Dharma, and the faith itself. Over time and as an act of syncreticism, Guan Yu was seen as the representative guardian of the temple and the garden in which it stands. His statue traditionally is situated in the far left of the main altar, opposite his counterpart Skanda.
According to Buddhist legends, in 592, Guan Yu manifested himself one night before Ch'an Master Zhiyi, the founder of the Tiantai school of Buddhism, along with a retinue of spiritual beings. Zhiyi was then in deep meditation on Yuquan Hill (玉泉山) when he was distracted by Guan Yu's presence. Guan Yu then requested the master to teach him about the Dharma. After receiving Buddhist teachings from the master, Guan Yu took Refuge in the triple gems and also requested the Five Precepts. Henceforth, it is said that Guan Yu made a vow to become a guardian of temples and the Dharma. Legends also claim that Guan Yu assisted Zhiyi in the construction of the Yuquan Temple (玉泉寺), which still stands today.
Modern references
Chinese opera
Qing Dynasty opera mask of Guan Yu.
Guan appears in Chinese operas such as Huarong Trail, Red Cliffs, and other excerpts from Romance of the Three Kingdoms. His costume is a green military opera uniform with armour covering his right arm and the knees of his pants. The actor's face is painted red with a few black lines, to represent honour and courage. He also wears a long three-section black beard made of yak hair and carries the Green Dragon Crescent Blade. Traditionally, after the show ends, the actor has to wash his face, burn joss paper, light incense, and pray to Chinese deities.
In Zhang Yimou's 2005 film Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles, a nuo opera performance of Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles (with reference to Guan Yu's fictional story of slaying six generals and crossing five passes) forms a major part of the film's narrative.
In Stephen Chow's 1994 comedy film From Beijing with Love, Chow plays an absentminded spy named "Ling Ling Chai" (007) who is shot by a double agent during a mission. When it is discovered the bullet has lodged deep into his thigh bone, he watches an interracial pornographic film to divert his attention (and blood flow) from the wound while the bullet is removed. When asked why, he recalls Guan Yu's example of playing weiqi while Hua Tuo performed surgery on his wounded arm.
In the 2007 horror-comedy film My Name Is Bruce, Guan Yu's vengeful spirit is accidentally set free by a group of teenagers and he begins to terrorize their town. The town then enlists the aid of B-movie actor Bruce Campbell to combat Guan Yu because of his experience with dispatching monsters in his previous films. Campbell accepts the job, believing it to be some impromptu movie production, but later discovers the threat is real.
In the 2008 historical film Red Cliff, Guan Yu is played by Basen Zhabu and is featured primarily in the Battle of Changban and later in a semi-fictional land battle near Red Cliff, which preceded the major naval battle.
In the 2008 historical film Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon, Guan Yu is played by Ti Lung. He holds off Cao Cao's army together with Zhang Fei while Zhao Zilong searches for the infant Liu Shan. He is also featured again during the appointment of the Five Tiger Generals.
The 2011 film The Lost Bladesman stars Donnie Yen as Guan Yu. The plot is adapted from the story of Guan Yu crossing five passes and slaying six generals in Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
Romance of the Three Kingdoms (1994): a Chinese CCTV production based on the novel of the same title. Lu Shuming played Guan Yu.
The Legend of Guan Gong (2004): a Chinese television series based on the life story of Guan Yu
K.O.3an Guo (2009): a Taiwanese television series that parodies Romance of the Three Kingdoms in a modern setting. George Hu played Guan Yu.
Three Kingdoms (2010): a remake of the 1994 TV series. Yu Rongguang played Guan Yu.
In the manga Battle Vixens, all the warriors from Romance of the Three Kingdoms are reborn as Japanese high school students, whose lives have to replay the entire story. His reincarnation is schoolgirl Kan-u Unchou, who carries the Green Dragon Crescent Blade with her.
In the manga BB Senshi Sangokuden, ZZ Gundam is portrayed as Guan Yu Gundam. He is similar to the Guan Yu depicted in Romance of the Three Kingdoms, except for some words and his weapon.
Guan Yu is featured as a playable character in all seven installments of Koei's Dynasty Warriors video game series.
Guan Yu also appears as a playable character in Koei's Warriors Orochi video game series, a crossover between Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors.
Guan Yu also appears as an officer in Koei's Romance of the Three Kingdoms video game series.
Guan Yu also appears in Sango Fighter. Like Dynasty Warriors, in Sango Fighter, Guan Yu is also depicted as a tall, red-skinned man dressed in a green robe.
MapleStory, a MMORPG from Wizet, has a Guan Yu costume available. It includes a turban hat, green battle gown, shoes, beard and his well known Green Dragon crescent-moon blade weapon.
In the eroge visual novel Koihime Musō, a girl named Kan-u Unchou has the personality like him. She meets the protagonist Kazuto in her road and helps him.
In Destiny of an Emperor from the original Nintendo Entertainment System, he is a general who becomes available to add on to the player's fighting group (led by Liu Bei) and is generally considered one of the strongest commanders in the game.
In Emperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom, Guan Yu (called "Guan Di") is a Taoist hero with some knowledge of Confucianism. He can fill warehouses with soybeans, lead troops into battle, and bless a military fort to fill it with weapons for training soldiers.
In Atlantica Online Guan Yu is a playable mercenary in the content update "Three Kingdoms".
In Titan Quest Guan Yu gives his name to an armor enchantment and is described as "the Taoist god of war".
Guan Yu is a playable God in the MOBA game SMITE
In Magic: The Gathering's Portal Three Kingdoms game set, he is a playable rare creature card with the "Horsemanship" ability.
In the History Channel's Anachronism card game, Guan Yu's cards have high initiative. His weapon is the "Green Dragon Crescent Blade", his armor is "General's Armour", his Special card is "Oath of the Peach Garden", and his inspiration card is "Guan Di", possibly alluding to his worship in the Taoist pantheon. Artwork for the five cards was done by Rob Alexander.
Wikipedia:Guan Yu
Retrieved from "http://www.chinabuddhismencyclopedia.com/en/index.php?title=Guan_Yu&oldid=248684"
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We released version 3 of Balsamiq Mockups today! There's plenty to see including an updated interface, new file format (single packaged project files), better asset and symbols management, the addition of FontAwesome icons, and plenty of improvements under the surface. We point out some of the highlights in the video below.
There's plenty more under the hood, and lots of new stuff on deck. You can read all about it in the announcement. It's a free update to existing users. Download it here.
Special thanks to all of the great customers giving us feedback over the years, and particularly those who we talked to in our forum, in our Beta group, our usability test sessions, and in the hallways at Interaction 15 this year. Much more to come!


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Q: Spoofing a duplicate MAC address on an interface not connecting to the network where the original MAC is I'm trying to run a PHP project on a test server.
The project uses an internal framework that has been modified so it will only run on the production server by checking the MAC address in eth0, and encoded with ioncube, (I have no access to the original source files, so I cannot modify the framework in any way, i only have the ioncube encoded files that were created about 10 years ago).
My server has 2 network interfaces (eth0 and eth1):

*

*eth0 has the spoofed MAC address, and has no network cable connected.

*eth1 has an IP (X.X.X.29) on the same network than the production server (X.X.X.30).

if I connect the computer to the same network as the production server, will be there a MAC Address conflict even though the spoofed MAC address is eth0 and not eth1?
As a precaution, I've always bringing down the eth0 interface before connecting to the local network, in order to connect to the internet.
My test server has CEntOS 6.7, while production has CEntOS 6.6.

A: Yes, some conflict could happend even if you forget disable eth0 or keep some ip on it. Because arp reply could go to another network. See http://linux-ip.net/html/ether-arp.html
For clean solution, enable arp_filter to prevent this on both server.
echo 1 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/conf/all/arp_filter

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Single malt from the BenRiach distillery, independently bottled by That Boutique-y Whisky Company. Another bananas label sits upon this Boutique-y bottle, referencing the origin of the phrase "monkey shoulder". Y'see, being a maltster is rather touch work, and after a long time of turning the malt of a malt floor (like the one at BenRiach), they might develop a hunch, colloquially referred to as a "monkey shoulder".
Batch 5 is a release of 377 bottles.
Nose: Youthful white pepper spice and meaty oak lead, with barley sugar, wood ash and milky coffee underneath. Soft toffee and lemon peel emerge with time.
Palate: Buttered malt loaf, salted caramel and whipped hazelnut cream provide a decadent opening to which burnt oak, blackberries, sea salt and ginger root add depth.
Finish: Burnt cedar and sticky toffee pudding linger.
Overall: Fascinating and flavoursome. Very enjoyable.


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text:
Groupama Volvo Ocean Race crew announced
International line-up including three Swedes and the inevitable Kiwi
Friday December 10th 2010, Author: James Boyd, Location: France
A year ago, just days before Groupama 3 was to set sail on her second attempt to conquer the Jules Verne Trophy, the French insurance giant announced its participation in the next two editions of the Volvo Ocean Race with Franck Cammas.
"Our commitment to the Volvo Ocean Race until 2015 is an expression of our group's approach to development, which has been strongly internationalised over the past 3 years," explained Managing Director Jean Azéma. "We've chosen this Round the World race to promote our image and thus write a new page in our shared history, for the wider benefit of Franck Cammas and Groupama. Given its longevity on the circuit, its human dimension and its international course, the Volvo Ocean Race is synonymous with Groupama's values as a builder, humanist and something that is lasting."
Since November 2009, the Groupama Sailing Team has continued to become stronger, to work on the design of the future Groupama 4 as well as sail aboard Groupama 70, the former Ericsson 4, winner of the last Volvo Ocean Race.
For his part, skipper Franck Cammas has had a good year, claiming the Jules Verne Trophy and most recently the Route du Rhum aboard Groupama 3. In addition he has been playing an active role in the selection of the team's Volvo Ocean Race crew.
The first to be named is Irish sailor Damian Foxall, who has already participated in three Volvo Ocean Races. At 41 years of age, this most French of Irishmen resides in Lorient. Winner of the last Barcelona World Race with Jean-Pierre Dick, Foxall is very enthusiastic: "From the outset, I was involved in selecting the crew alongside Franck. It was necessary to define the skill sets we wanted to gather together. The greatest challenge is to work effectively as a team and to drive Groupama 4 at 100% of her potential at each of the nine stages, with very little time during the stopovers. Over nine months, fatigue accumulates. At the end, you really feel like you've done a circumnavigation of the globe."
Foxall will take up the position of helmsman, trimmer and crew manager.
According to Cammas: "When Damian is on a project, it is often the winning one. As such it's better to have him with us rather than against us".
At 31 years of age, Australian Phil Harmer will be participating in his third Volvo Ocean Race. "I'm really lucky to be in the Groupama Sailing Team. Since the call from Damian, who I sailed with on Green Dragon, I've had other offers, but I don't want to leave. All the work that has gone into this is fantastic, both in technical and human terms. To date, no other team is in a position do better."
Harmer will be on board as helmsman, trimmer, pitman and master sailmaker.
According to Cammas: "Phil is a specialist in sails and manœuvres. A very good trimmer, he's also a master sailmaker, which is an essential skill to have in the crew."
Swede Magnus Woxen is preparing for his fifth Volvo. 39 years old and living in Stockholm, 'Baggy' as he is commonly known, doesn't lack humour: "It may be because Damian found my French to be "très bien" that he contacted me. Groupama draws its strength from over ten years' experience. Of course competing in the Volvo is something new for them. I'm bringing them the experience I've gained from my four successive Volvos. It's a fusion of skills."
Woxen will be helmsman, trimmer and mast consultant.
According to Cammas: "Magnus is a Volvo Ocean Race specialist. He really has a good command of what we know least about the Volvo Ocean Race. Any discussions and negotiations with him are interesting as he really has a fresh way of looking at things. That's what gives this crew its charm and richness".
The first Frenchman selected by Cammas is Jean-Luc Nélias - an old acquaintance, as they competed together in the Transat AG2R. A native of Finistère, Nélias, 48 will be navigator. He raced one leg of the last Volvo Ocean Race, on Green Dragon: "It's a race which has had a lot of bearing on my life but was hard to access as there weren't many French sailors doing it. I'd applied to Anglo-Saxon teams several times, but never with any success. Franck very quickly invited me to join the Groupama Sailing Team in Lorient. It's a lot of work but also a great pleasure."
According to Cammas: "Jean-Luc had never raced in the [whole] Volvo but, like me, he'd dreamed of doing it. We've just won the Route du Rhum, with him as router, so it augurs well".
At 36, Charles Caudrelier is an old friend of Cammas. Winner of the Solitaire du Figaro and the last Transat Jacques Vabre with Marc Guillemot, he's well aware of the new challenge which awaits him: "I wouldn't have sailed with any old team because, to my mind, the Volvo is very difficult on a human level. All alone on a boat going around the world is something that fascinates people, but you only have to take care of yourself in that situation. When there are eleven people going around the world and it lasts a year, it's very hard".
Caudrelier will be on board as helmsman, trimmer, navigator and will be the person in charge of performance.
According to Cammas: "I've known Charles for a very long time; we even lived in the same house for two years! He's someone who performs extremely well, as was proven in his victory in the Figaro and he is very involved in our project".
Sébastien Josse is just 35 years of age. Based in the Morbihan, Brittany, the former skipper of ABN AMRO Two is plunging back into extreme sailing: "Since my early days in ocean racing, I've alternated between crewed races and solo races. It's a cycle. The hardest thing in a Volvo remains living on top of one another. It's a bit like living in a travelling caravan of old. For two years, you're with the same people and a few kit bags in various hotels. 90% of our time is devoted to racing and the team while the rest is kind of on hold".
Josse will be a helmsman, trimmer and head of on-board systems.
According to Cammas: "Sébastien Josse is one of the rare Frenchmen to have skippered one of the Volvo Ocean Race boats recently. We're really lucky to have him in the Groupama Sailing Team".
Triple winner of the Mini Fastnet, Yann Riou will take up a special position aboard Groupama 4. At 36, this electronics and computer expert will be the Media Crew Member: "The role of Media Man essentially consists of taking video images, making a selection of shots and an initial edit and sending it to the organisation and the communication team so the images can be broadcast. Several minor tasks come on top of that: preparation of the food – as the boat's official cook, and the small domestic chores – as an extreme cleaning operative".
As such Yann won't be allowed to touch a single sheet or a single sail.
According to Cammas: "It was necessary to have a very good sailor in the role of media man as you have to be familiar with living and working on this type of boat. Yann's offshore sessions aboard the Groupama trimarans and in the Mini mean that he has the appropriate profile."
At 51, Jacques Caraës is the most senior member of the crew. A holder of the Jules Verne Trophy aboard Groupama 3, he also competed in the Whitbread with Eric Tabarly on board La Poste in 1993. Right now the organiser of La Solitaire du FIgaro is ready to pull on his foulies again: "Having once had the experience, I know that this race makes men physically and mentally exhausted. The teams who retain the same composition throughout the race programme are rare. The replacements bring good humour and freshness, as well as strengthening the harmony and solidarity within the Team. The Volvo boats have become so extreme that I don't mind distancing myself from the foredeck. Racing is wearing for everyone, including the media man. It'll be a welcome feature for there to be two of us supporting each other in this role".
At these time Caraes will replace Yann Riou.
According to Cammas: "I know Jacques very well through having done several Jules Vernes with him, even though only one got all the way round. He's someone who is extremely solid, who's already done several round the worlds and who, added to that, is always pleasant on a boat."
A special feature of this eleventh edition of the Volvo Ocean Race is that three crew must be under 30, at the race start.
A Swede who's just squeezed into the under-thirty category, Martin Krite is a professional sailor. He participated in the last Volvo Ocean Race aboard Ericsson 3. However, he is also a pastor: "Religion is important to me. I have a personal faith and that influences my everyday life, not solely when I'm at sea. However, I'm in the team as a sailor and not as a pastor. If one of the guys wishes to have a discussion with me about this, I'll be happy to answer any questions they may have. However, I don't want to impose my belief on them."
Martin will be bowman and boat captain
According to Cammas: "Martin never complains and is very tough. As a Swede, he's not afraid of the cold or the sea spray. Pleasant, always positive, hard-working and courageous, he forms part of the crew of under-thirty year olds who have experience in this domain".
It's rare to see a boat competing in the Volvo Ocean Race which doesn't have any New Zealanders aboard. The Groupama Sailing Team is no exception to the rule with the arrival of Brad Marsh, aged 27. A member of Ericsson's shore crew and an Emirates Team New Zealand crewman during the Louis Vuitton Cup, he's very determined: "I was very enthusiastic at the idea of discovering the French aspect of ocean racing as well as the French culture. The way a project is managed is so different. The French concentrate a great deal on the detail; they're extremely focused. It's very interesting to be able to witness it from the inside and to learn alongside people like Franck Cammas."
Marsh will be a bowman and in charge of the rigging.
According to Cammas: "Brad has recently arrived in the team. He was a member of Ericsson 3's shore crew so he hasn't sailed in the race. However, he's an enthusiastic sailor who will work in a complicated and at times dangerous position, where he'll need courage. I think he has that."
Martin Strömberg will be the third Swede on the boat. At 28, he's already got one Volvo Ocean Race under his belt, again aboard Ericsson 3: "We don't speak French very well but we do speak English. One amusing thing is that when the three of us are together on deck, the others have christened it the "Ikea watch". We have a real potential for victory, even though the team has never done the Volvo. Some of us have done it several times and there's also Franck's multihull experience. Ultimately, we've got a fair number of round the worlds on the clock between us. Frank is always there to get the boat and the crew performing at their very best. I find that very agreeable and stimulating".
Martin will be a trimmer, pitman and sailmaker.
According to Cammas: "Martin has a big build and that's definitely something we need on the boat. He's someone who is very calm and at the same time very rigorous, who does his job very well".
Don't go thinking that you have to be from outside France to have the necessary skills to race around the world at less than thirty years of age. The proof comes in the shape of Erwan Israël who will be competing in his first Volvo Ocean Race. A familiar face on the Figaro circuit, he's now discovering the VOR 70: "The boats are powerful and constantly pushed to perform at 100%. We mustn't let ourselves be overwhelmed by the big seas on deck. The sea trials are exhilarating. The participation of a French team will enable young French sailors to be trained up for the Volvo Ocean Race. I'm happy to be one of those."
Israël will be a trimmer and helmsman, as well as being in charge of the manœuvres in the inshore races and also the safety.
According to Cammas: "Erwan is an excellent racer. He's young too and I hope he will race some of the legs. It's our role to train them in the Volvo Ocean Race."
Last but not least, Sébastien Marsset is a Mini specialist. Groupama 3's technician, he's the youngest member of the team at 25: "It's a circumnavigation of the globe which in itself is not insignificant. It's a competition with a compelling human story. Whether it is within the shore team or the sailing team, it's going to be rich. What's evident is that I have a lot to learn from the others. I have to try to absorb their experience. Ultimately I'm becoming fairly well integrated and haven't had to endure any ragging. They say that I'm the sportiest amongst us, but I train like the others".
Marsset will be a trimmer, pitman and in charge of the deck hardware and safety.
According to Cammas: "Seb came to us with a CV, which was a bit lacking in substance, but his attitude and motivation are excellent for the team. He started out working with the shore crew and during a few sea trials proved that he was motivated, along with performing increasingly well in the manœuvres and boat management."
Besides these twelve sailors, the Groupama skipper is relying on his heads of department to bring the Groupama group's participation in the Volvo Ocean Race to a successful conclusion.
At 57, Luc Gellusseau is the first of them to join the Groupama Sailing Team. In charge of relations with the organisers and, in particular, the special race rules for the Volvo Ocean Race, he keeps an eye on each stage of the project – training, construction of Groupama 4, manufacture of the sails and constitution of the crew – to ensure that the decisions made conform to the race rules.
Watch leader aboard Telefonica during the last race, Laurent Pagès, 34 years of age, joined the Groupama Sailing Team back in August 2009 and is in charge of the sail programme: "The number of permitted sails has been reduced in relation to the 2008 edition. That means that you have to re-examine things from every angle in terms of strategy, development and design. There's a whole in-depth study to be carried out with North Sails and our own team in order that we perform as well as possible on the start day, as well as throughout the nine months of racing".
Loïc Dorez, head of the design office, Pierre Tissier, head of boat construction, Hervé Le Quilliec, in charge of logistics, Australian Ben Wright, head of the shore crew and finally Olivier Mainguy, in charge of the rigging, complete this team led by Stéphane Guilbaud, team manager, who has worked alongside Franck Cammas since 1997, the year when he won the Solitaire du Figaro: "The team has evolved in stages. There has been a steady succession of projects since 1998, which are increasingly ambitious every time. We've been lucky to be supported by Groupama, which is also forging ahead. Our aims are now international, which explains why a third of Groupama Sailing Team is from overseas. However, our basic rules have not changed and continue to revolve around humility, common sense and an ability to adapt. The team remains the most important value to be defended and Franck is a leader to us more than ever."
Cammas retains the determination and competitive ambition which have been his strengths for what has already been a long period of time. After winning virtually all the possible races and records in a multihull (barring The Transat), the Groupama skipper explains this switch of direction: "To participate in the Volvo Ocean Race is a decision we've made together with Groupama, who has supported me for the past thirteen years. Together we've sought an event which can exert its influence over Groupama's image internationally and enable us to progress and confront what I imagine to be the best in crewed ocean racing. We know that there's a lot happening overseas and one way of progressing is to go and do battle with the best. That's why we're taking part."
VOR 70
Brad Marsh
Charles Caudrelier
Damian Foxall
Franck Cammas
Jacques Caraës
Jean-Luc Nelias
Magnus Woxen
Martin Krite
Phil Harmer
Seb Josse
Yann Riou
TT RIGGING
Grand Prix Yacht Rigging Specialists
James Robinson Taylor
Categories include: Ribs / tenders, Rope, Sailing team, Corporate entertainment


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Almost everybody loves a good conspiracy story. Such tales are the bread and butter for thriller and adventure writers the world over and shift millions of copies of fiction every year. But what about true-life conspiracies? What has caused the massive upsurge in the popularity of conspiracy theories in recent years?
It has often been said that the best conspiracies are the ones we know nothing about. After all, what good is a conspiracy that is common knowledge? However, we cannot talk about something of which we know nothing (although many might argue that point!), so we shall continue.
To begin with, it should be noted that conspiracies have been around for as long as humans have walked the Earth. No doubt Caveman Ugg conspired with his mates to take the credit for Caveman Agg's discovery of fire, but it was with the advent of civilisation that conspiracies began to hit the headlines, so to speak. When ancient city-states began to spring up, their rulers often found themselves at the sharp end of ambitious conspirators. Who can forget Julius Caesar's demise at the hands of Brutus and his chums?
It was in modern times, though, that the cult of the conspiracy theorist began to really take off. Arguably, it all began on a sunny, November day in Dallas, Texas in 1963, when the presidential motorcade of John Fitzgerald Kennedy made its way through Dealey Plaza. Shots rang out. People screamed. The president was hit. Thus began a series of events that would perpetuate the most famous conspiracy theory of our time.
It would be pointless to retread all the angles of the JFK assassination, as almost everybody knows the main theories: the lone gunman, the CIA, the FBI, the military/industrial complex, the Cubans/Soviets, even aliens. Almost everybody has had the finger pointed at them over the four decades since that winter's morning. That the official report by the Warren Commission was met with such scepticism by many only bolsters the conspiracy in many quarters. But the theories persist and this makes the murder of JFK the quintessential conspiracy theory of our time.
Since then, the conspiracy theory has become a part of everyday life. These days, every national and international tragedy births a whole new set of theories, be it the death of Diana – Princess of Wales, the 9/11 terrorist attacks, even the Asian Tsunami of 2004. There is one factor that has fuelled the conspiracy network more than any other – the internet.
Countless millions of people across the globe have access to the internet and it has become a fast and easy way to get your views and opinions shared with a worldwide audience. No matter how far-out or wacky your theory may be, there are those who will agree with you. There will also be an equal or greater number who will vociferously disagree, of course.
So, why is the conspiracy theory such big business? Why do we love to hear them? Is it because, deep down, we have a natural distrust of government and/or authority?
That may actually be closer to the truth than you realise. The modern conspiracy web formed in the sixties, at the height of Flower Power and the Vietnam War. Young people in America had become disillusioned with their government's foreign policy in SE Asia and the peace marches and demonstrations that occurred were unprecedented in the short history of the United States. Never before had so many voiced their dissatisfaction of their leaders' decisions and America was shaken to its very core.
With the resignation (and subsequent pardoning) of President Nixon in 1974 after the Watergate Scandal, the public's malcontent with public office was complete. Never again would the office of President of the United States of America be a symbol of freedom and democracy. Instead, we would see the decline of public trust in elected officials gather pace.
Some have suggested that this decline culminated with the election of George W Bush in 2000, the Floridian 'hanging chads' and a Supreme Court ruling handing victory to Bush over the man whom had been declared winner only hours earlier, Al Gore (who garnered more votes than Bush, but still lost due to the Electoral College system).
Then came the first disaster of the internet age – the attack on New York and Washington of September 11th, 2001. With the destruction of the World Trade Centre's Twin Towers and the Pentagon severely damaged, within hours conspiracy theorists had set up websites declaring that the hijacked passenger jets had been flown by remote control or that the Twin Towers had been deliberately toppled from within or that it had been a missile that had struck the Pentagon. The lists were endless.
It certainly didn't help that the Bush government immediately lashed out and invaded Afghanistan, toppling the Taliban government, but failing to catch (to this day!) the leader of the terrorists accused of the attacks, Osama Bin Laden. Then Iraq was blamed for being an ally of Al Qaeda, even though we now know that the US (in the form of the CIA) has more links with that terrorist organisation than Iraq has ever had.
The 9/11 'movement' is gathering pace and there are countless websites and newsletters that explain in graphic details how these terrible atrocities were not only allowed to happen, but may have actually been planned years in advance. George W Bush was so rattled by the theories that he even mentioned in a speech that followed the tragedy that 'outrageous conspiracy theories should not be tolerated'.
The thing about conspiracies, though, is that they do exist. Everybody knows this. From Guy Fawkes' conspiracy to blow up Parliament, to the notorious Operation Northwoods, in which the US military had plans to destroy American aircraft and blame it on Cuba, to the Iran-Contra Scandal, conspiracies are part and parcel of modern politics, warfare and espionage.
Conspiracy theories could be said to come in several forms. There are the minor conspiracies (although those involved might argue), which might include things like a newspaper setting up a public figure or celebrity to provoke a scandal (as recently happened with the England head coach, Sven Goran Eriksson). Then there are the middle range of conspiracies, which, while popular, do not really affect our everyday lives, such as conspiracies about governmental liaisons with extra-terrestrials or even the JFK assassination. Then there are the major conspiracies. These are the ones that do affect people, such as the conspiracy to send troops into Iraq based on false intelligence that led to a war that has cost hundreds of thousands of lives. Then there was the Enron scandal, in which a group of conspirators within the upper echelons of the company set out to defraud its investors by making false profit reports. The company collapsed and thousands of people were robbed of their life savings. These events happened. They are not conspiracy theories. They are true conspiracies. A person or persons actually conspired to make these events occur in the hope that they could get away with it.
What angers many conspiracy theorists is that even when their theories become facts, they are still labelled as oddballs or troublemakers, but the truth is that today's conspiracy theory could become tomorrow's breaking news headline.
So, who are these conspiracy theorists? Are they simply sad and lonely individuals, ensconced in darkened rooms, grinding their axes? Far from it (although I have no doubt that a few are…). Conspiracy theorists come in all shapes and sizes, from government officials, to military personnel, to the average bloke in the street who just wants to find out what the hell is going on. The same can be said for conspirators.
One thing's for certain, as long as there are people walking this planet, there will be conspiracies and conspiracy theories for years to come.


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The Judas Kiss, Duke of York's - Spear's Magazine
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The Judas Kiss, Duke of York's
20th February 2013 by Spear's
Everett has become Wilde incarnate
My stern gourmand Monsieur Le Gris wants to go to the theatre more often, so off to see The Judas Kiss at the Duke of York's we go. I wonder if it was some subconscious plot of mine to take him to a play which opens with full frontal nudity and explores the exploits of Britain's most famous persecuted homosexual.
Whatever it was, M Le Gris' first comment was that he wasn't sure if chambermaids sported Brazilians in the late nineteenth century. I decide not to ask what makes him such an expert and make a note to Google it later.
I seem to have an affiliation with Mr Wilde: I lived on Tite Street for most of my life and my late father directed The Trials of Oscar Wilde with Peter Finch. He was a huge admirer of his work and I remember reading and re-reading The Happy Prince when I was a wee slip of a girl. Indeed, I even had a dog called Oscar.
But I never really knew about the complex relationship between Oscar and Lord Alfred Douglas (Bosie), which rocked a rather two-faced Victorian establishment. This is what David Hare delves into with grit, intensity, pathos and a heavy dose of welcome wit and drollery.
Many have said Rupert Everett was born to play this role and I can't disagree. He has become Wilde incarnate yet he doesn't impersonate or mimic. He simply is and possesses all that Wilde was, complete with a larger than life stage presence and remarkable physical resemblance, although I found his repetitive breathing through his nose a little distracting.
We follow two momentous episodes in Oscar's life. Oscar is taking refuge in the Cadogan Hotel after his libel case against the Marquess of Queensbury (his lover's father). He is advised to flee London before arrest, yet in a perverse acceptance of his impending doom he stays put, partly out of pride and his need to be with his lover and partly out of a naivety that he is above the law.
WE SEE OSCAR the raconteur, the wit, the lover, and then – at his lowest, as a blanket of fear, anger and bitterness settles on him – the statuesque genius reduced to tears; his lover Bosie has fled to avoid scandal and he awaits arrest.
Everett manages to convey such a complex abundance of emotions, each sentence heavy with a subtext of what this trial means for him as a writer, for his social standing, not to mention the political future of England.
What we see most however is Oscar the idealist who wishes to exist in his Utopia, to live his life as he wants and to love whom he chooses, for this is the highest form of Art. 'Love is not an illusion: life is,' he says.
In the second act, we find Wilde and Bosie residing in a crumbling Neapolitan apartment. Despite all protestations and a stint in Reading Gaol, Oscar is back with the foppish, self-obsessed and calculating Lord Alfred, superbly played by Freddie Fox.
Fox swaggers about with various nubile lovers to taunt Wilde while apparently scheming and calculating his demise. One does wonder what Bosie's redeeming feature is which Wilde clings to, and this is key, for it is Bosie who has brought his downfall by pressuring him to pursue a libel action against his own father for his own selfish reasons. In moment of lucidity Wilde sees this clearly, but is he blinded by this ideal or is it a sadistic self-persecution he feels he deserves?
A touching performance is given by Cal MacAninch as Oscar's loyal friend Robbie Ross, who provides a calm voice of reason in a hedonistic world. Perhaps all true artists are born to suffer, perhaps they choose to suffer. We certainly see the mental torture Wilde is put through, estranged from his children and held to ransom by his wife and London society.
Even such a figure as Oscar Wilde needed a patron, and without money, his demise was all the more rapid. It certainly gave me a much deeper perspective on this genius and Everett really does play the role of his life. I hope he continues to tread the boards instead of a vacuous Hollywood existence. It is after all life imitating art.
Is it not, Mr Le Gris? You can stop Googling Brazilian waxes now, thank you.
The Judas Kiss is on at the Duke of York's Theatre
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CARABAO CUP | BURTON ALBION TRAVEL TO ROCHDALE FOR FIRST ROUND CLASH – News
by broderickfatnown | Jun 24, 2022 | Blog | 0 comments
BURTON Albion will tackle Sky Guess League Two aspect Rochdale AFC within the first spherical of this season's Carabao Cup.
The match, set to happen on week commencing August 8, can be performed at Rochdale's Crown Oil Enviornment with a spot within the second spherical, towards potential Premier League opposition, at stake.
It will likely be our first go to to Rochdale for the reason that 2020/21 season, when the Brewers secured a 2-0 win over 10-man Dale by way of targets from Lucas Akins and Kane Hemmings.
Supervisor Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink says he's focusing on a cup run within the Carabao Cup this season and described the tie as "unpredictable".
"It's unpredictable as cup video games are, so we have to try to get cup run and go so far as attainable," mentioned Hasselbaink.
"The primary hurdle is Rochdale and we'll do every little thing to organize for the sport correctly as a result of we hope to progress so far as attainable on this competitors."
Particulars round fixture date, kick-off time and ticket information can be confirmed sooner or later.


Capital One has introduced online banking to a national level in the United States. Customers can open savings and checking accounts remotely and then access their balance online without ever needing to visit a physical location. Many local banks and credit unions offer similar services for their customers as well.
Here are the online banking pros and cons to consider.
1. You can pay your bills online.
Recurring payments can be scheduled so that bills are paid automatically on the same day every month. That makes it much easier to manage personal finances.
2. You can transfer money when needed.
If you spent a few extra dollars at the grocery store and your checking account is short, online banking allows you to transfer funds out of your savings account from a mobile device. With online access, you gain total access to all your money.
3. You gain added security.
Online banking is very secure. It eliminates the need to carry cash with debit card access. You can shop through apps, shop online, or pay for local purchases. It only takes a couple of clicks to get the account setup and most financial institutions provide 24/7 customer support.
1. Data breaches are possible.
Although you gain more security by carrying less cash, there is always the possibility of a data breach. No website is 100% foolproof against hacking efforts. Your information could be compromised.
2. Some transactions are not possible.
If you have cash that needs to be deposited into your account, you'll have to go to a physical location or an ATM. Many banks offer online check deposits today, but cash and certain international transactions must still be done in person.
3. Impulse purchases are harder to avoid.
With cash, once it is gone, you can't purchase anything else. With online banking, many people fall into a trap where they spend the extra money in their account because they have it. Budgeting skills must be in place for online banking to be a successful user experience.
These online banking pros and cons are just the beginning. Many providers offer unique, individualized experiences to help each customer make the most out of their accounts.


The Acworth Parks, Recreation and Community Resource Department offers monthly day trips for senior adults. Seniors traveled to locations that include Gibbs Gardens, Chateau Elan, Atlanta Botanical Garden, Chattanooga, Tenn. and CNN Center.
Overnight trips are also offered twice each year.
In March, the active adults in the "Seniors Got Groove" group traveled to Charleston, S.C., for a four-day, three-night getaway. The group of 22 stayed in the Charleston Historic District. They cruised Charleston Harbor, toured the Aiken-Rhett House and Nathaniel Russell House, viewed the Angel Oak Tree and toured Charleston Tea Plantation.
The trip was packed with activities, and participants enjoyed the chance to get away and get to know each other better, according to Lauren Ham, Special Populations Coordinator at Acworth Parks, Recreation and Community Department.
In December, the group will travel to Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, Tenn.
The cost for trips varies depending on location. To register and for pricing, go to Acworth.org. Click on the Parks and Recreation tab at the bottom of the screen, then click on the Special Populations tab and then Senior Programs.
For more information, contact Lauren Ham, the Special Populations Coordinator at Acworth Parks, Recreation and Community Department at 770-917-1234, or email lham@acworth.org.


A strange cloud drifts over the base and causes most of the crew to be stricken with illness. A monster, the 'cloud creature', (Dave Prowse MBE), appears out of the cloud and runs amok on the base. A voice from the cloud explains its purpose. The base must give up its life support in order to prevent the cloud from dying. With most of the crew indisposed through illness, it is down to Maya to employ her shape-shifting skills to beat the creature.