Shen nung biography of rory
Where Does Tea Come From? - The Culture of Tea - Part 2
Where Does Tea Come From?
The origins of tea and the complex history of how it was spread around the world is a culturally rich, yet often bloodied, story. It all starts in China, where tea has been a source of health and culture for thousands of years. Through the development of global trade, and in spite of major conflicts, each country the plant has touched develops it’s own traditions, practices, and communities surrounding the cup.
Early Origins of Tea
When was tea first found? There are two major methods we can use to answer this question; written history, and physical evidence. However, these methods may not tell the whole story, as written history and physical evidence may deteriorate over time. Oral histories and traditions may give us even deeper insights into the history of tea.
The oral history goes back the furthest. Chinese legend says that in BCE the mythical emperor and herbalist, Shen Nung, sat under a tree while a servant boiled drinking water. A leaf fell from the tree into the water and the emperor decided to taste the brew, enjoying the first cup of tea. This legend is a favorite amongst tea drinkers, widely considered to be the first account of tea being brewed. The oral traditions play a crucial role in understanding the origins of tea, because the first known written text about tea wasn’t written until over years later.
In 59 BCE Wang Bao, a poet and musician to the Emperor’s court, wrote a contract to purchase a servant of the widowed Lady Hui. The contract brutally described how tea and other goods were to be purchased, prepared, and served with excruciating detail. By creating this contract, Wang Bao unknowingly created the oldest known written history of tea. While the earliest written record is marred with cruelty, physical evidence proves that the beverage was well established in Chinese culture long before Wang Bao’s contract was written.
In the earliest
The History of Medicines
In the second in our series of Research Videos for , mechanical engineering students Niamh Keogh and Shane Queenan demonstrate the Geec (Galway Energy Efficient Car), an eco-car designed and built by Mechanical, Energy Systems and Electrical & Electronic engineering students from NUI Galway, mentored by Dr. Nathan Quinlan, Dr. Rory Monaghan and Dr. Maeve Duffy.
Last year in Rotterdam, in a first for Ireland, the Geec team competed against almost other teams at the Shell Eco-marathon Europe, where cars are challenged to drive 16 km around a closed street circuit using the least amount of fuel or energy. The team finished in the top half of the leaderboard in prototype battery-electric class, with a score of km/kWh – roughly equivalent to 8, miles per gallon for a petrol or diesel car, making it the most energy efficient car ever to drive in Ireland!
Video by Claire Riordan, Science Engagement Associate at CÚRAM . Geec footage courtesy of Dr. Nathan Quinlan.
The Culture of Tea - Part 3
Chinese Tea Legends - Shennong
Tea in China
The history of tea in China goes back over four thousand years. Through the millenia, legends have been told, traditions and practices have developed, conflict has ensued, and a simple plant has flourished as an integral part of Chinese culture; today, cultures all around the world have been enriched as well. We will explore some of the most important stories and discoveries in Chinese tea history to gain a glimpse into the rich culture that has evolved around that plant.
The Discovery of Tea
Our journey begins four thousand years ago with the Legendary Chinese Emperor Shennong. The Emperor most often appears as a human in ancient depictions, usually chewing on herbs to discover their medicinal properties. Other depictions include; a bovine headed man with an iron skull (1), and a human man with a transparent stomach (2) through which he could see the effect of herbs on his body. It is said that in BCE, Shennong first discovered tea by chance, rather than by picking a stalk and chewing it as he usually did with other herbs. As the Emperor sat beneath a tree, a servant boiled drinking water. A leaf fell from the tree into the pot. Instead of boiling a fresh pot he decided to taste the new brew (3), and when he did the toxins in his body could be seen clearing away from his translucent gut.
Shennong is a mythical figure whose story has been passed down through oral history. He is known to be one of the three ancient rulers, but is also considered a deity (1). His name can be translated to Divine Farmer, Divine Peasant, Divine Agriculturist, or Divine Husbandman. As one of the greatest heroes in Chinese legend, Shennong is believed to have taught the Chinese people agricultural practices, and how to create and use a wide range of medicines (2).
The legend tells that before Shennong people would hunt for their food and use the skins for their clothes. Shennong grew .