“Great Wall”

Picture from Dr Kate Pedley/ Caters News – (Picture shows: Huge Hadrians Wall-like fault erupting from New Zealand countryside) These incredible pictures show a massive WALL has been created by the moving earth in the New Zealand countryside created when the 7.8 magnitude quake struck the country this month. On November 14 the southern hemisphere nation was hit by the huge quake around Kaikoura located around 600 miles north of the Christchurch on New Zealands South Island. Now for the first time scientists have been allowed into the area surrounding the quake dotted in the Hobbit-like idyllic green fields around Kaikoura concentrated in the North Culverden Basin and an area called Mount Lyford. The first reconnaissance team from the University of Canterbury (UC), in New Zealand comprised UC academics Professor Jarg Pettinga, Dr Clark Fenton, Dr Anekant Wandres, and Geology PhD students Alan Bischoff and Andrea Barrier was in the field quickly after last weeks huge quake. A second reconnaissance mission on Friday November 18 saw Prof Pettinga and Dr Fenton joined by Dr Kate Pedley and Dr Narges Khajavi. SEE CATERS COPY

Seeing this great rupture in the landscape caused by the recent Kaikoura earthquake, and how it makes people feel small and feeble, brought to mind the song, “Wall of China/One Man”, by the Scottish group Runrig. 

[Up-date: TV item on the earthquake features, including the wall-like rupture, as tourist attractions in 2023 – see here. At 1 minute 6 seconds, on the earthquake; at 1 minute 39 seconds, on the earthquake and contemporary tourism; at 2 minutes 11 seconds, on the “great wall”.]

In the song, the Great Wall of China is used as a metaphor for struggling against great odds, one person with great determination doing something important though small in the face of greater countervailing forces – “only the meek can break the strong”. It has been stated that the song refers to a man on a Scottish island building his own road because the local government never got round to doing it.

They say the wall of China’s seen from the moon
They keep building empires to immortal fools
But where the world goes small you stood alone
To face Goliath and the might of Rome

Where the rock sets hard your arms hit strong
Digging out your road ten thousand paces long
Fragments of survival in the driving rain
With the blood and tears that bear your name

On and on, the meek the strong
On and on, the meek the strong

They built the wall of China with a million men
Thought that broken promises would wear you thin
But they didn’t count on things they couldn’t see
One island man with heart of steel

On and on, the meek the strong
On and on, the meek the strong
On and on, the meek the strong
On and on, the meek the strong

One man to change the world
One word to bring it down
One stand to right a wrong
Only the meek can break the strong
Only the meek can break the strong

A version from YouTube with photos and information on the Great Wall of China itself:

Author: tumblestoneblog

Retired Academic, male, living in the New Zealand countryside near Whanganui with his wife as well as Jasper the dog, Fluffy the cat, Dancer and Penny, the horses, and a shed half-full of stones. Email john.tumblestone@gmail.com. View all posts by tumblestoneblog