Gods and Goddesses governing the repeating cycles of nature are pretty universal and certainly predate recorded history. Humans naturally attribute things beyond their comprehension to deities of some sort. There are very few world cultures that don’t have a winter deity. One of my favourites is Frau Berchta from the Alpine Germanic tribes of Europe.… Continue reading Winter Spirits: Berchta
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DNA: Four Letters
Since my mid-teens I have been fascinated by genetics. There are a numbers of reasons for this. When I was seventeen the human genome project was completed. The worlds media was abuzz with science and pseudoscience. On a more personal level I have a genetic condition called Retinitis Pigmentosa(RP) caused my a single nucleotide mutation… Continue reading DNA: Four Letters
Harii: Ghosts or Guerrillas
I have mentioned before how painful I found studying Tacitus in my formative years. Despite this I do seem to keep coming back to him. In this instance he is literally the only source I could find so its possible I am about to recount, in the minimal detail available to me, a two thousand… Continue reading Harii: Ghosts or Guerrillas
Dante: A bone to pick
I’ve often make my feelings about Dante Alighieri known. After being forced to study the Devine Comedy …. repeatedly I have no great love for the man. Its not just the post-traumatic stress that having my classics teacher bellow “but what did he REALLY mean” a hundred times a lecture for two years has induced.… Continue reading Dante: A bone to pick
The Bloody Isle
Due to a recent trip and some Covid-19 related difficulties I decided to take a week off my usual posting schedule (two posts a week). Normal postings should resume next week. I haven’t been idle with my downtime thought. A huge amount of reading was necessary to release my first entry in The Bloody Isle.… Continue reading The Bloody Isle
Marie: A Village for the Queen.
Marie Antoinette is a key figure in French history. She has served as an over laboured source of satire for decades, propping up the careers of middling comedians and historians alike. Her apparent disconnect from the suffering and profound poverty of the people of France has made her an easy target. But is her reputation… Continue reading Marie: A Village for the Queen.
Witches: By the pricking of my thumbs.
Halloween may be over for another year however I thought I would wrap up my spooky and folklore themed posts with some witch related information that I found interesting. Matthew Hopkins During a period referred to as the “English Civil War” one man was driving the search for, and execution of witches in England. During… Continue reading Witches: By the pricking of my thumbs.
Connla: A night on the pull.
This is without a doubt one of the most vanilla folk tales I have read and I am told it is far more stirring as an opera. Given it is Celtic with origins dated to at least 3 AD I am confident operatic variations are a modern innovation. Connla of the Firey Hair was the… Continue reading Connla: A night on the pull.
Jean Baptiste Denys: The blood of the calf.
I am the first to recognise that a great deal of scientific advancement has developed from accidents, mistakes or radical misconceptions. I also believe that in science even a negative result is a good thing. Advancement in any direction is still advancement. However rarely in history when a scientist starts with a profound misunderstanding about… Continue reading Jean Baptiste Denys: The blood of the calf.
Ankow: Don’t fear the reaper
One of the oldest surviving legends from the Brythonic world tells of a being called the Ankow. This is its Cornish name, the Normans and Bretons(Brittany) know it as Ankou. A skeletal figure that collects and guides the souls of the dead. It is often depicted wearing a wide brimmed hat and carrying a scythe.… Continue reading Ankow: Don’t fear the reaper