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An example of an artistic crescent — in this case a large circle with a smaller one removed.

An astronomically correct crescent shape (in blue), complemented by a gibbous shape.

In art and symbolism, a crescent (pronunciation: /ˈkrɛsənt/^[1]) is generally the shape produced when a circular disk has a segment of another circle removed from its edge, so that what remains is a shape enclosed by two circular arcs of different diameters which intersect at two points (usually in such a manner that the enclosed shape does not include the center of the original circle).

In astronomy, a crescent is the shape of the lit side of a spherical body (most notably the Moon) that appears to be less than half illuminated by the Sun as seen by the viewer. Mathematically, assuming the terminator lies on a great circle, such a crescent will actually be the figure bounded by a half-ellipse and a half-circle, with the major axis of the ellipse coinciding with a diameter of the semicircle. The direction in which the "horns" (the points at the intersection of the two arcs) face indicates whether a crescent is waxing (also young, or increasing) or waning (also old, or decreasing). Eastward pointing horns (pointing to the left, as seen from the Northern hemisphere) indicate a waxing crescent, whereas westward pointing horns (pointing to the right, as seen from the Northern hemisphere) indicate a waning crescent. Note that the directions the horns point relative to the observer are reversed in the Southern hemisphere.

The word crescent is derived etymologically from the present participle of the Latin verb crescere "to grow", thus meaning "waxing" or "increasing", and so was originally applied to the form of the waxing moon (luna crescens). The English word is now commonly used to refer to either the waxing or waning shape. In the technical language of blazoning used in heraldry, the word "increscent" refers to a crescent shape with its horns to the left, and "decrescent" refers to one with its horns to the right.^[2]

Symbolism[link]

In the Ancient World[link]

The crescent is one of the oldest symbols known to humanity. Together with the sun, it appeared on Akkadian seals as early as 2300 BC and from at least the second millennium BC it was the symbol of the Mesopotamian Moon gods Nanna in Sumer and Sin in Babylonia, Sin being the "Lamp of Heaven and Earth". The crescent was well known in the Middle East and was transplanted by the Phoenicians in the 8th century BC as far as Carthage (now in Tunisia). The crescent and star also appears on pre-Islamic coins of South Arabia.^[3]

Under the Byzantine Empire[link]

The crescent was in use in the ancient Greek colony of Byzantium. Subsequently, it became one of the symbols of the Byzantine Empire and especially of Constantinople. It is unclear whether the Ottomans adopted the symbol after the conquest of Constantinople or it was already in use. Indeed, during the Byzantine-Ottoman Wars, the crescent was used simultaneously by both the Byzantines and the Ottoman Sultans.

Anna Notaras, daughter of the last Megas Doux of the Byzantine Empire Loukas Notaras, after the fall of Constantinople and her emigration to Italy, made a seal with her coat of arms which included Two Lions holding above the crescent a cross or a sword.^[4]

In the Islamic World[link]

Before Islam, the crescent was the symbol of Sassanids and after capturing Persian lands, the crescent has been adopted by Muslim Arabs and later by Islamic faith. In the 12th century the crescent and star were adopted by the Turks and since then the crescent has been a frequent symbol used by powerful Muslim empires such as the Ottomans and the Mughals. It is a historical symbol of the Turks, associated especially with the Ottoman Empire, but pre-Islamic Turkic nations such as the Göktürks used the crescent and star figure on their coins.

The oldest representations of flags with the crescent are on 14th-century navigational charts, or portolanos, and manuscript of a Franciscan friar. There are discrepancies between these sources as far as the colours of fields or crescents are concerned. However, an account of flags from the Middle East and North Africa by the author of Libro de Conoscimento confirms the widespread use of the crescent on flags in that region. These include: the flags of the kings of Damascus and Lucha (yellow with a white crescent); Cairo (white with a blue crescent); Mahdia in Tunisia (white with a purple crescent); Tunis (white with a black crescent); and Buda (white with a red crescent). Some of the 14 and 15th-century portolanos show the flag of Tunis as red with one or two crescents, which is presented on several portolanos as a symbol of the Ottoman Empire. From 16th to the 18th centuries this flag is usually shown with three white crescents; in 1793 the number of crescents was reduced to one and an eight-pointed star was later added on, when the rule of the Ottoman Empire ended, Turkey was the only Muslim state regarded as a world power at the time. Its flag was known from West Africa to the Far East, and helped to popularize the crescent and star among the Muslim populations of many countries of Asia and Africa. Muhammad Ali, who became Pasha of Egypt in 1805, introduced the first national flag of Egypt, red with three white crescents, each accompanied by a white star. This flag, in turn, influenced the design of the first flag of independent Egypt, which was green with a white crescent and three white stars to symbolize the peaceful co-existence of Muslims, Christians and Jews. During the past two centuries the crescent and star has featured on the flags of other Muslim countries.

Though the crescent was originally a secular symbol of authority for Muslim rulers, it is now often used to symbolize the Islamic faith. However, the crescent was not a symbol used for Islam by Muhammad or any other early Muslim rulers, as the Islamic religion is, in fact, against appointing "holy symbols" (so that during the early centuries of Islam, Muslim authorities simply didn't want any geometric symbols to be used to symbolize Islam, in the way that the cross symbolizes Christianity, the menorah was a commonly occurring symbol of Judaism, etc.). This is why early Islamic coins were covered with Arabic writing, but contained no visual symbols.

Despite this mixed history, many Islamic nations and charities use the crescent symbol on their flags or logos (e.g. Turkey, The Red Crescent, etc. — though currently none of the Arab states in Arabia or the Mashreq have crescents on their flags).

Note that in the case of an astronomical crescent, such as the moon observed in the sky, the outer arc will be 180° (a half-circle as previously mentioned), while the Islamic crescent symbol (Arabic هلال hilāl) is often shown with an outer arc significantly greater than 180° (as seen in the illustrations below).

In Hinduism[link]

The crescent moon is also a symbol associated with the Indian/ Hindu iconography, specifically Within Puranic and Tantric Hinduism. the foremost example is that of Shiva (along with his aspects such as Bhairava and Mahakala, whose forehead is adorned with the crescent moon. But other than Shiva, the major Indian Goddesses like Durga and Kali (the latter more often), is depicted with the crescent. Sarasvati, another major deity, is adorned with the crescent, in her Tantric styles of depictions. Apart from that, some peripheral or liminal deities from the Tantric pantheon, such as Chinnamasta, Matangi, Kamala (the tantric Lakshmi), Tara, and Lalita or Tripurasundari are always depicted as adorned with a crescent. The crescent, symbolising the re-birth or regenerative aspect of the Moon, which is symbolic of feminine power and womanhood (just as in western pagan traditions), has always been one of the important symbols and motifs in Tantra.

Heraldry[link]

Leliwa. Polish noble coat of arms with crescent as a heraldic symbol.

The crescent is also used as a heraldic symbol. While this usage is not directly affiliated with Islam, in some instances one can trace the introduction of the crescent in European heraldry to Crusaders returning home. The roots of the Slavic crescent can be traced to the old Slavic pagan beliefs. In English and Canadian heraldry a crescent is the cadence mark of a second son.

Elsewhere[link]

The crescent as a neo-pagan symbol of the Triple Goddess.

The crescent symbol is also used to represent the moon in astronomy and astrology, and to represent silver (the metal associated with the moon) in alchemy, where, by inference, it can also be used to represent qualities that silver possesses. (Alchemy and Symbols, By M. E. Glidewell, Epsilon.)

The crescent is the symbol of Gamma Phi Beta sorority.

The crescent printed on military ration boxes is the Department of Defense symbol for subsistence items. The symbol is used on packaged foodstuffs but not on fresh produce or on items intended for resale.^[5]

New Orleans is nicknamed The Crescent City, and a crescent, or crescent and star, is used to represent the city officially. The origin is the crescent shape of the old city, hugging the East Bank of the Mississippi River. The historical crescent, which includes the French Quarter and was one of the few places where settlement was possible before the construction of the levee system, did not flood during Hurricane Katrina. The choice of the star and crescent symbol is a relic of the krewes, many of which adopted "Oriental" costume and rituals, like other societies of the 19th century.

Other crescent-shaped entities[link]

The Fertile Crescent.

• A glomerular crescent is a crescent shaped scar of the glomeruli of the kidney. It is a sign of rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis (also called crescentic glomerulonephritis).^[6][7]
• The Fertile Crescent was a crescent shaped fertile area of land between Ancient Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt.
• The Golden Crescent is one of Asia's two principal areas of illicit opium production.

See also[link]

• Lune (mathematics)
• Lunar phase
• Croissant (crescent in French)
• Cresselia
• Lambda Chi Alpha and its symbol

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Crescents

Notes[link]

External links[link]

Look up crescent in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• The origin of the Islamic crescent
• MathWorld article on geometric "Lune"
• Worldwide Moon Sighting Reports
• Islamic Calendar Based On Crescent Visibility Predictions
• The Crescent Shines for All, Not Just Muslims

Brendan Perry
Brendan Perry on stage in 2010
Background information
Birth name	Brendan Perry
Born	(1959-06-30) 30 June 1959 (age 52) Whitechapel, London
Occupations	Musician, songwriter, producer
Instruments	Vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, twelve-string guitar, bass, keyboards, hurdy gurdy, percussion, Irish bouzouki, mandolin, low whistle, hammered dulcimer
Associated acts	Dead Can Dance, The Scavengers, The Marching Girls, Robin Guthrie
Website	Brendan-Perry.com

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Brendan Perry

Brendan Michael Perry (born 30 June 1959 in Whitechapel, London)^[1] is a singer and multi-instrumentalist best known for his work as the male half of the duo Dead Can Dance with Lisa Gerrard.

Early life[link]

Perry was born in Whitechapel, London, England, UK, in 1959 to Anglo-Irish^{[clarification needed]} parents and subsequently raised and schooled in the East End of London, until his family emigrated to Auckland, New Zealand. Having received no formal musical education, Perry began to play the guitar at the Catholic school he attended in Ponsonby. After failing to become a primary school teacher and to join the civil service, Perry worked at a series of jobs until joining the Scavengers in 1977. At first Perry played bass guitar, later taking on the duties of lead vocalist when the original singer left the band. Apart from a handful of original songs, the band covered music from the Stooges, New York Dolls, and late-'60s Psychedelia. After two years, having failed to secure a recording deal or live dates, the band moved to Melbourne, Australia, in 1979 and changed its name to the Marching Girls. In 1980, Perry left the Marching Girls to pursue a solo career, experimenting with tape loops, synthesis, and alternative forms of rhythm. In 1981, Perry formed Dead Can Dance with Simon Monroe and Paul Erikson (both of whom were to leave soon after they had relocated to London), and Lisa Gerrard.

Career[link]

The Scavengers and The Marching Girls[link]

Though now primarily known for his quiet introspective work with Dead Can Dance, Perry's first musical forays were in a markedly different style. In 1977, Perry was a leading member of New Zealand punk rock band the Scavengers, working under the pseudonym of Ronnie Recent. Perry started as the band's bass player, becoming lead vocalist after a lineup change in 1978. In 1979, the band moved to Melbourne and changed its name to the Marching Girls. Perry left the band in 1981. Perry's work with these two bands can be found on the compilation album AK79 and on a compilation of Scavengers singles that was recently released on CD. The Scavengers are regarded as New Zealand's equivalent of the Buzzcocks, with the Perry co-penned song "Mysterex" regarded as one of the country's best and most distinctive punk-rock singles. The Marching Girls also reached the New Zealand singles charts in 1980 with "True Love."

Dead Can Dance[link]

Dead Can Dance originally formed as a quartet in 1981 in Melbourne, with Perry, drummer Simon Monroe, bass player Paul Erikson, and, last to join the band, Lisa Gerrard. In 1982, Dead Can Dance moved to London leaving Simon Monroe in Australia. Peter Ulrich played drums on the band's first demos, concerts and recordings. Paul Erikson soon left the band to fly back to Australia, leaving the band a duo. The band went on to record eight albums on the 4AD Records record label beginning with the self-titled Dead Can Dance album, which was released in February 1984.

Solo career[link]

In 1999, Perry released his solo album Eye of the Hunter on 4AD Records. The album contained songs written by Perry and a cover of Tim Buckley's song "I Must Have Been Blind." Perry would eventually cover three more Tim Buckley songs: "Happy Time," "Chase the Blues Away," and "Dream Letter."

Around 2001, Perry did the music for a 10-minute film (Mushin) made by Graham Wood, who designed the artwork of the box set Dead Can Dance (1981-1998) and the album Wake.

Perry announced his departure from 4AD in September 2008, and promised a new album titled Ark in early 2009. According to a reply Perry made to a comment on his MySpace blog, the new album will be very different from Eye of the Hunter, notably because it will feature rhythm machines and electric guitars. "Utopia," a demo version of a song from the album, was made available on his MySpace blog.^[2] Ark was eventually released on 7 June 2010.^[3]

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

• 1978: The Scavengers: The scavengers (first LP from Perry's punk band)
• 1980: AK79 (compilation, Scavengers & Marching girls)

• 1999: Eye of the Hunter (solo)
• 2008: London ICA (13 Year Itch Festival) (solo, only available as a mp3/mp4 download)^[4]
• 2010: Ark (solo)

Contributions[link]

This section may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. The specific problem is: title formatting in this list needs to be verified with MOS:T. Please help improve this section if you can; the talk page may contain suggestions. (March 2009)

• Opera Multi Steel: Stella obscura (CD, "Du chant des elfes")
• The 13 Year Itch (4AD compilation,"Happy time" 1993)
• Elijah's Mantle: Angels of perversity (1993, "Paradis IAC" & "Quem di dilicunt -part two")
• Hector Zazou: Sahara Blue (1994, "Youth" & "Black Stream [w/Lisa Gerrard]")
• Hector Zazou: Songs from the cold seas (1994, "Annuka suaren neito" & "Adventures in the Scandinavian skin trade" )
• Rare on Air (KCRW compilation, "The Captive Heart" 1994)
• CoEx: Synaesthesia (1995, "Chant of Amergin" )
• Hector Zazou & Harold Budd: Glyph (1995, "Around the corner from everywhere")
• Hector Zazou: Lights in the dark ("Gol na dtrí Muire" & "In ainm an athar le bua" & "Caoine Mhuire" )
• Barbara Gogan & Hector Zazou: Made on Earth (1997, "True love")
• "Sunset Heights" 1997 (movie soundtrack by Perry)
• "Greenwood voice of the celtic myth" (compilation, "Balor's song" ; 1997)
• Peter Ulrich: Pathways and dawns (programming & sequencing, guitars, hurdy gurdy & tin whistles: Brendan Perry)
• Sing a Song for You (Tim Buckley tribute album,"Dream letter" 2000)
• Zoar: Clouds without water (2003, "Winter wind" & "Wakeworld")
• Piano Magic: Ovations (2009, "The Nightmare Goes On" & "You Never Loved This City")

References[link]

External links[link]

• Brendan-Perry.com (official website)
• Dead-Can-Dance.com (English/Italian fansite, incl. Perry)
• Muzic net's Scavengers page
• Discography
• Interview ca. 2001 with Perry

Susan Cowsill
Susan Cowsill performs at the French Quarter Festival, New Orleans, Louisiana, 11 April 2008.
Background information
Birth name	Susan Claire Cowsill
Born	(1959-05-20) May 20, 1959 (age 53) Canton, Ohio, U.S.
Genres	Rock, pop, Americana
Occupations	Singer, songwriter, backing vocalist
Years active	1967–present
Labels	MGM, London, Warner Bros.
Associated acts	The Cowsills, Continental Drifters, The Susan Cowsill Band
Website	susancowsill.com

Susan Claire Cowsill (born May 20, 1959; Canton, Ohio) is a musician, vocalist and songwriter. She is the youngest member of The Cowsills and the only daughter of parents Bud and Barbara Cowsill.

The Cowsills[link]

Susan began her musical career with The Cowsills in 1967; she made her debut on We Can Fly, the Cowsills' second MGM Records album released in early 1968. Her debut solo vocal was a song called Ask The Children, featured in the Cowsills third MGM album, Captain Sad And His Ship Of Fools. Her contribution to the Cowsills' backing vocals made her, upon her ninth birthday, the youngest person to be directly involved in a hit record when Indian Lake made the Top 10 in the early summer of 1968.

In 1969 she contributed to the vocals in what would become the Cowsills' biggest hit, Hair. She sang her line, "and spaghetti'd" with a squeakiness in her voice, which essentially became her calling card, which she still uses to this day when she performs the song live.

Susan was initially relegated to playing the tambourine, but by the time she left the group in 1971 (shortly after the release of their London Records album On My Side) she had learned to play other instruments; in an episode of the short-lived Barbara McNair Show she was seen playing bass guitar [1].

In 1978 Susan reunited with The Cowsills (without Bill and Barbara) to work on an album of new songs. The album, tentatively titled Cocaine Drain, was produced by Chuck Plotkin, but was not released until 2008. She again reunited with brothers Bob, Paul and John as The Cowsills in the 1990s, to work on another album of original songs. The album, Global, was released to critical praise in 1998.

Solo career[link]

Music[link]

Susan signed briefly with Warner Bros. Records in 1976, releasing two singles. Beginning in the early 80s she worked as a backing vocalist for varying artists including Dwight Twilley, The Smithereens, Carlene Carter, Mike Zito, and Hootie & the Blowfish. During this time her songwriting skills blossomed, and several of her songs have been covered by other artists.

By the early 1990s Susan had developed an affinity for Americana-style music, which in 1991 led to her joining the Continental Drifters, further honing her songwriting talents. Susan occasionally appeared in a duo with bandmate Vicki Peterson, calling themselves The Psycho Sisters. (Peterson subsequently married John Cowsill, currently with the touring version of the Beach Boys.) Susan permanently relocated to New Orleans, Louisiana by 1993.

In 2004, on the heels of a rare Christmas snowfall in New Orleans, Susan wrote and recorded the poignant Crescent City Sneaux. The song subsequently became an anthem for survivors of Hurricane Katrina.

Susan has also made guest appearances on many albums, including Hootie and the Blowfish's 2003 self titled release, Paul Sanchez's 2008 album Exit to Mystery Street, Giant Sand's 1992 release Glum, and A Fragile Tomorrow's releases Beautiful Noise (2008) and Tripping Over Nothing (2010).

By 2005, Susan had released her first ever solo album, Just Believe It, on her own Blue Corn indie label. Susan and her band are innovators in what they call their Covered In Vinyl series. This involves the band learning all the tracks from a selected album, usually of the classic rock genre, and then performing the album in its entirety before a live audience. The band released their first Covered In Vinyl compilation in 2007 featuring songs from their live performances, with a portion of the proceeds going to local charity. Members of the CIV band include New Orleans guitar virtuoso Jimmy Robinson (Woodenhead, Twangorama), Pete Winkler (Motorway), special guests Bill Davis (Dash Rip Rock), Caleb Guillotte (Dead Eye Dick), Derek Huston, Paul Sanchez, and many others.

Susan's latest releases include a second Covered In Vinyl compilation, and her second solo work, Lighthouse, a concept album in which she reflects on her losses, mainly through Hurricane Katrina and the deaths of brothers Barry and Bill. The album features harmonies from her surviving brothers (Bob, Paul and John) as well as appearances by Jackson Browne and Vicki Peterson, and was released May 18, 2010.

In 2012, Cowsill, Freedy Johnston, and Jon Dee Graham, working together as The Hobart Brothers and Lil' Sis Hobart, released a collaborative album entitled At Least We Have Each Other.

Television[link]

Susan made numerous appearances with her family on many variety shows in the 60s and early 70s including a solo appearance on the Dean Martin Show^{[citation needed]}. In June 2011, she and her band guest starred in the "After Mardi Gras" episode of Treme, an original HBO drama about a New Orleans neighborhood.

Personal life[link]

Susan's home and belongings (including a sizeable amount of Cowsills memorabilia) were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. Her brother Barry stayed behind and became one of the victims of the hurricane; his body was not found until shortly after Christmas 2005. The day before Barry's funeral, she learned her oldest brother Bill had succumbed to illness in Calgary. Susan paid tribute to Barry on her latest CD with her version of his song "River Of Love". Despite her losses, she remains a New Orleans resident and still performs regularly with her band at Carrollton Station.

Susan married fellow band member, drummer Russ Broussard in July 2003. She has one daughter, Miranda Holsapple, from her previous marriage to musician Peter Holsapple.

External links[link]

• Susan's Website
• Susan's page on Cowsill.com; features solo discography
• Susan's MySpace site