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History

From the powerful civilizations of Egypt, Mesopotamia, and the Indus Valley, to the fearsome yet sophisticated society of the Vikings, the ancient world was a surprising and challenging place. Here we feature some of the most seminal and influential events and people throughout history, that have helped shape the world we know today.

Leonardo da Vinci portrait and anatomical sketches. Source: klss777 / Adobe Stock
27 December, 2019 - 23:04 Pierluigi Tombetti

Secretum: Leonardo Da Vinci and the Anatomy of the Soul

Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) was born in the middle of the Humanism movement – a search for the lost wisdom of the classical age that broke with the rigid schemes of the Middle Ages. It provided an...
Bronze statue of Bodhisattva Guan Yin
27 December, 2019 - 01:56 Natalia Klimczak

Guan Yin: Goddess of Mercy, Buddha-in-Training

Buddhism is usually regarded as a religion which is led by one master – Buddha . However, there are many more ancient legendary masters in this belief system and both male and female characters are...
The Wild Hunt of Odin by Peter Nicolai Arbo (1872) (Public Domain)
26 December, 2019 - 01:31 Charles Christian

The Man Who Was Wednesday: The Norse Origin of Christmas

Christmastide traditions are a glorious amalgamation of customs and practices that have been appropriated wholesale from other belief systems, primarily those of Ancient Rome. But Rome is only part...
A woman in a forest holding holly. Credit: LoloStock / Adobe Stock
25 December, 2019 - 13:52 ancient-origins

Decking the Halls of History: The Pagan Origins of Christmas Decorations

The idea of hanging up decorations in the middle of winter is older than Christmas itself. Decorations are mentioned in ancient descriptions of the Roman feast of Saturnalia , which is thought to...
Mistletoe branch. Credit: Vera Kuttelvaserova / Adobe Stock.
25 December, 2019 - 02:08 ancient-origins

Mistletoe: From Toxin-Laced Darts to Fertility Symbol

Christmas and mistletoe: have you ever simply asked yourself … why? I have studied plant parasites like mistletoe for almost ten years, and I’m here to tell you that the answer is absolutely...
Christ in the House of Martha and Mary by Henryk Siemiradzki (1886) (Public Domain)
24 December, 2019 - 00:53 ancient-origins

Mary Magdalene, Jesus’ Tower of Wisdom

The ‘repentant prostitute’ or the ‘penitent whore’, this view of Mary Magdalene was cemented in Western ecclesiastical tradition by Gregory the Great in his sermons in the sixth Century, conflating...
The Renaissance: The ‘Rebirth’ That Changed the World
23 December, 2019 - 23:05 dhwty

The Renaissance: The ‘Rebirth’ That Changed the World

The Renaissance refers to the period in European history between the 14 th and 17 th centuries. As a historical era, the Renaissance was preceded by the Middle Ages, and succeeded by the early modern...
Delphine LaLaurie (Public Domain) and children of slaves in the American South. (Okinawa Soba (Rob)/CC BY NC SA 2.0)
23 December, 2019 - 18:47 Aleksa Vučković

Delphine LaLaurie: A Beautiful Face Masks Evil Deeds

Royal Street of New Orleans’ French Quarter is one of the oldest parts of the city, well-known and liked for the many antique shops, galleries, and sights. It remains a window into the real soul of...
Depiction of a Christmas ghost standing under the moonlight in the snow. Source: Bashkatov / Adobe Stock
23 December, 2019 - 14:00 ancient-origins

Why Do Christmas Ghost Stories Have Such Enduring Appeal?

Our fascination with ghostly tales around Christmas time goes back thousands of years and is rooted in ancient celebrations of the winter solstice. In the depths of winter, pagan traditions included...
Modern decorated Christmas Tree Source: JenkoAtaman / Adobe Stock
21 December, 2019 - 01:56 ancient-origins

The Historic Growth of the Christmas Tree

François Lévêque / The Conversation A few hundred years ago, who would have dreamed that the humble Christmas tree would one day be an immense global success? Certainly not Martin Luther, who is said...
Ancient wizard
20 December, 2019 - 23:50 dhwty

Legendary Wizards: Philosophy Meets Magic in the Ancient World

The word ‘wizard’ is derived from the Middle English word ‘wys’ (meaning wise) and the suffix ‘-ard.’ Therefore, a wizard was basically a wise man, up until around the middle of the 16th century AD...
Remains from the funerary pyre of Philip II. (Macedonian Heritage / CC BY-SA 3.0)
20 December, 2019 - 22:30 David Grant

Orphic Masks and Burial Rituals: Unmasking King Philip II of Macedon

That is the gods’ work, spinning threads of death through the lives of mortal men, and all to make a song for those to come. Homer The ancient Greek world was steeped in superstition and...
A depiction of Ahmose fighting back the Hyksos from Egypt. Source: Public domain
19 December, 2019 - 13:45 dhwty

Did the Hyksos Pull Off a Peaceful Invasion of Egypt?

The Hyksos were a dynasty of kings who ruled over the northern part of Egypt during the 2 nd millennium BC. They were not native Egyptians, but came from the East, most likely Western Asia...
The Magi with baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Source: Henry Siddons Mowbray / Public domain
19 December, 2019 - 01:58 Fr. Dwight Long...

Was the Magi’s Mission History or Myth?

In just twelve short verses the Gospel of Matthew records the visit of the mysterious Magi to pay homage to the baby Jesus. The allure of mystical wizards from exotic lands captured the imagination...
Chinese Bronze Mirror (CC BY-SA 1.0)
18 December, 2019 - 21:50 Roberto Volterri

Unraveling the Miracle of Chinese Magic Mirrors

An ancient oriental miracle, far removed from the religious sphere, and from the western concept of ‘miracle,’ manifested around first century AD China to those who 'had faith', where explanations...
The Roman Theatre, Amman, Jordan
17 December, 2019 - 02:01 Ed Whelan

Amman, One of the Finest Roman Theatres in the World

The Kingdom of Jordan has many historical sites. Many different civilizations have flourished in the area since ancient times. One of the most important and largest heritage sites is the Roman...
Venetian Carnival Mask of Golden Sun and Silver Moon by allasimacheva. (Adobe Stock)
16 December, 2019 - 23:46 ashley cowie

Moon Tear Hunters and the Quest for Ancient Silver

When the American author, diplomat, inventor, physicist and politician, Benjamin Franklyn, said: “ Genius without education is like silver in the mine , ” he encapsulated an ancient thirst shared by...
The spread of the Ostrogothic Kindom, The Goths at the Battle of Mons Lactarius.
16 December, 2019 - 13:57 Aleksa Vučković

Ostrogothic Kingdom – The Rise and Fall of the Eastern Goths

The early medieval and early AD history of Europe saw many emerging nations, and plenty of migrations as well. Tribes were restless, axes sharpened, and old kingdoms were growing weak. And in such...
Top image: Pelasgos is said to be the father of the Pelasgians. Source: Fxquadro / Adobe Stock.
15 December, 2019 - 13:59 dhwty

Pelasgos and The Mysterious Pelasgians of the Aegean

Pelasgos was a mythical ruler of ancient Greece . He is said to have been the progenitor of the Pelasgians (or Pelasgi), who are a mysterious people, as little is known for certain about them. Their...
St Augustine of Canterbury preaches to Aethelberht of Kent during Christianization of Anglo-Saxon England Photo source: James William Edmund Doyle / Public domain
14 December, 2019 - 13:45 dhwty

How Anglo-Saxon England Made the Radical Change to Christianity

The Christianization of Anglo-Saxon England began towards the end of the 6 th century AD, and by the end of the succeeding century, all the kings of Anglo-Saxon England were Christian, at least...
Representative image of Gautamiputra Satakarni a ruler of the Satavahana dynasty. Source: Pranjal / Adobe Stock.
14 December, 2019 - 01:29 Saurav Ranjan Datta

Gautamiputra Satakarni: Warrior King of the Satavahana Dynasty

In India as in various parts of the world, from the time of the Vedic culture of around 1,500 BC, the royal dynasties have always held the names of their fathers when a new king succeeded to the...
Medea by Artemisia Gentileschi (1620)(Public Domain)
13 December, 2019 - 23:34 MartiniF

Medea, Murderous Mother or Defiant Defender of the Oikos?

In his Argonautica , ancient Greek author Apollonius of Rhodes provides a rather romantic introduction of Medea as a young woman desperately in love. Unfortunately, this introduction quickly takes on...
Representation of Harald Fairhair, the first King of Norway. Source: Fotokvadrat / Adobe Stock.
13 December, 2019 - 22:57 Aleksa Vučković

The Story of Harald Fairhair, First King of Norway

The early history of Norway, and Scandinavia in general, is characterized by powerful seafarers, traders, and warriors and by rich heathen mythologies and ambitious chieftains . The fierce sons of...
Kurdish Warriors by Frank Feller (1898) (Public Domain)
11 December, 2019 - 19:19 Felice Vinci

Are Zeus’ Curetes the Ancestors of Modern Kurds?

The hypothesis that there is a relationship between the ancient Curetes of Greek mythology and the Kuri or Kuronians, a tribe of warriors and navigators of the Baltic world, where the medieval Danish...

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