- published: 22 Oct 2015
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The francisca (or francesca) is a throwing axe used as a weapon during the Early Middle Ages by the Franks, among whom it was a characteristic national weapon at the time of the Merovingians from about 500 to 750 AD and is known to have been used during the reign of Charlemagne (768–814). Although generally associated with the Franks, it was also used by other Germanic peoples of the period including the Anglo-Saxons, and several examples have been found in England.
The term francisca first appeared in the book Ethymologiarum sive originum, libri XVIII by Isidore of Seville (c. 560–636) as a name used among the Spanish to refer to these weapons "because of their use by the Franks".
The historian Gregory of Tours (c. 538–594) in his History of the Franks uses two Latin terms for the Frankish axe: securis and bipennis.
The régime of Vichy France used the image of a stylised double-headed francisque as part of its iconography (compare fasces).
The francisca is characterized by its distinctly arch-shaped head, widening toward the cutting edge and terminating in a prominent point at both the upper and lower corners. The top of the head is usually either S-shaped or convex with the lower portion curving inward and forming an elbow with the short wooden haft. Sometimes the head is more upswept forming a wider angle with the haft. Most franciscas have a round or teardrop-shaped eye designed to fit the tapered haft, similar to Viking axes. Based on the measurements of modern replicas the francisca had a haft length of around 40-45 cm (16-18 in) and a 10 cm (4 in) cutting edge [1] [2] with an average weight of around 600 g (21 oz, 1.3 lb). Based on surviving heads of franciscas recovered at Burgh Castle and Morning Thorpe in county Norfolk, England the length of the head itself measured 14-15 cm (5-6 in) from the edge to the back of the socket.
Pacha Man (born Călin Nicorici, 21 July 1976 in Timişoara, Romania) is a reggae musician. He is one of the first Romanian artists to pursue a career as a reggae artist and the first to release a professionally produced album in this genre. He is well known for his aggressive style and trademark Patois-Romanian mixture approach to songwriting.
Pacha Man was born in 1976 in Timişoara, Romania, the city where he also spent most of his childhood. His father emigrated to Canada in 1980, leaving a young Pacha Man with a diminishing interest in education and an eager wish to earn his existence. He followed his father's footsteps at the age of 14, in 1990, when he left for Canada, a country that would become his home for the next seven years while he also spent various amounts of time in New York and Miami. He got his start in writing lyrics and making music while observing the African immigrants' habits in Canada and the United States. He returned to Romania in 1997, father of one with his first wife, a Colombian immigrant he met while living in Canada. He also studied law for 3 years in New York. While in the United States, Nicorici was incarcerated for 3 years for robbery and assault after which he was deported back to Romania in 1997.
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Plot: In Sem Controle Eduardo Moscovis is Danilo, a stage director obsessed with the injustice committed against XIX century farmer Manoel da Motta Coqueiro, case that initiated the process of extinction of death penalty in Brazil. Incited by a beautiful and mysterious woman, Danilo takes a fateful decision. He stages a play about the case with himself as Motta Coqueiro and psychiatric patients playing all the other parts. When the borders between reality and fantasy start to blend, Danilo relives the historical facts in first person, all the time conscious of the tragic doom of his character. Full with uncommon characters and surprising turns, Sem Controle approaches the issue of death penalty in a refreshing new perspective.
Keywords: brazil, death-penalty, metalanguage, psychiatric-patientActors: Paulo Pires (actor), Laura Soveral (actress), Ana Zanatti (actress), António da Cunha Telles (producer), Isabel Ruth (actress), Carmen Santos (actress), Filipe Ferrer (actor), João Maria Pinto (actor), Pêpê Rapazote (actor), Adelaide de Sousa (actress), Irene Cruz (actress), Cremilda Gil (actress), João Vaz (actor), Emídio Rangel (producer), Francisco Brás (actor),
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