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Ancient Traditions

Ancient Origins brings you articles related to Ancient Traditions from all over the world. Find related articles in the sections of history, archaeology, human origins, unexplained, artifacts, ancient places and myths and legends.

Zoroastrians have used Towers of Silence in their funerary practices
6 December, 2019 - 16:55 dhwty

Zoroastrian Towers of Silence: Leaving the Dead for the Vultures

A tower of silence (known also as a ‘dakhma’) is a type of structure used for funerary purposes by adherents of the Zoroastrian faith. This Zoroastrian practice for the disposal of the dead involves...
St. Benedict of the Benedictines receiving Totila, king of the Ostrogoths. Source: Paklao / Public Domain.
6 December, 2019 - 14:06 dhwty

The Rule of the Benedictines, the Black Monks of Europe

The Order of St. Benedict ( Ordo Sancti Benedicti in Latin, abbreviated as OSB), known also as the Benedictines (sometimes referred to as Black Monks, due to the color of their religious habits), is...
England’s Medieval law and order in the. Source: Anneke / Adobe Stock.
4 December, 2019 - 19:00 Aleksa Vučković

Caught Red-Handed! Law and Order in Medieval England

In medieval societies , it was always quite important to preserve law and order, and to rightfully dispense justice. A just ruler secured himself an obedient populace, and often enough, justice was...
Roman wine was sweetened with toxic 'sugar of lead'
4 December, 2019 - 14:16 dhwty

Savoring the Danger: Romans Loved Toxic 'Sugar of Lead' Wine

How far did ancient people go to enhance the flavor of their food and drinks? Would they consume toxic substances if it made things a little more appetizing? The Romans did, by adding a sweet version...
: “The First Thanksgiving 1621, oil on canvas by Jean Leon Gerome Ferris (1899). The painting shows common misconceptions about the event that persist to modern times: Pilgrims did not wear such outfits, and the Wampanoag are dressed in the style of Native Americans from the Great
27 November, 2019 - 16:40 lizleafloor

American Thanksgiving Origins and Roots in the Old World

As the leaves turn beautiful golden and fiery red hues, the weather gets colder, and people prepare for the oncoming winter in the Northern Hemisphere, Americans enjoy the annual celebration of...
A scene from the Books of the Dead (based at the Egyptian Museum) shows the ibis-headed god Thoth recording the result of “the final judgement”. Source: Wasef et al. - PLOS ONE / CC BY-SA 4.0.
20 November, 2019 - 13:59 ancient-origins

Holy Bin Chickens: Ancient Egyptians Tamed Wild Ibis for Sacrifice

These days, not many Aussies consider the ibis a particularly admirable creature. But these birds , now colloquially referred to as “ bin chickens ” due to their notorious scavenging antics, have a...
Roman spa. Source: araraadt / Adobe Stock.
12 November, 2019 - 18:55 dhwty

Ancient Spas: The Lifegiving Power of Water and the Gods

In the world of today, a spa is generally understood to mean a health resort, a place where people visit in order to rejuvenate their body, mind, and spirit. Spas today come in many varieties,...
A shofar is sounded under the light of the sun. Source: Rafael Ben-Ari /Adobe Stock.
8 November, 2019 - 22:48 Jonathon Perrin

“Shofar Away”: An Akhenaten Connection to the Jewish New Year

The lone blast of the shofar trumpet stretches out across the hills, illuminated by the first rays of the morning sun. The distinct sonorous call marks the important day of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish...
Nayanar statue of the Bhakti movement. Source: Lightofchairat / Adobe Stock.
3 November, 2019 - 19:02 dhwty

Who Were the Tamil Saints of the Bhakti Movement?

Broadly speaking, the Tamil saints refers to the holy men and women of Hinduism who lived in Tamilakam, the geographical area inhabited by the ancient Tamil people which covers the southern tip of...
The scene at Victoria Hall, the grief-stricken parents having to identify the bodies of their children. Source: wearsideonline / Public Domain
29 October, 2019 - 17:58 dhwty

The Deadly Victoria Hall Stampede Tragedy

The Victoria Hall Stampede was a tragedy that occurred in Sunderland, in the northeast of England, in 1883. The unfortunate incident happened in a concert hall at the end of a children’s...
Putting a Price on Marriage: The Long-standing Custom of Dowries
23 October, 2019 - 18:02 Theodoros Karasavvas

Putting a Price on Marriage: The Long-standing Custom of Dowries

A dowry is an ancient custom that requires the transfer of parental property to a daughter at her marriage , rather than at her father’s death. It is a tradition in which emotion does not play a role...
Everything is distinct in the shaman’s secret world. Source: Ammit /Adobe Stock
18 October, 2019 - 22:39 george fery

The Shaman’s Secret World: Living in Light and Darkness

Shamanism is described in Shamanism, Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy as a every ancient coherent system of esoteric beliefs and practices that attempt to organize and explain the interrelationship...
Portrait of an executioner. Warpedgalerie / Adobe Stock
6 October, 2019 - 13:59 Aleksa Vučković

The Dark Life of a Medieval Executioner – A Cut Away from the Rest

It is no surprise that the medieval period was filled with all kinds of undesirable jobs. There were leech collectors, cesspool cleaners, serfs, and gong farmers, to name a few. But one vocation that...
Goddess of Egypt, Bastet. Credit: MiaStendal / Adobe Stock
5 October, 2019 - 22:56 Aleksa Vučković

Egyptian Cat Goddess Bastet, Protector of the King

The wondrous world of Egyptian deities is filled with all manner of fantastic creatures, each one captivating in its unique depiction. This vast pantheon features hundreds upon hundreds of deities,...
The drum has been used since ancient times for rituals and communication. Source: zolotareva_elina / Adobe Stock.
5 October, 2019 - 14:03 B. B. Wagner

Primeval Communication and the Beat of the Drum

Human beings need complex communication, no matter if it's through speech or music . The invention of drums has become an essential factor in all musical forms of artistic expression. It is through...
In the medieval England magic was a service industry. Source: Вероника Преображенс / Adobe Stock.
5 October, 2019 - 01:55 ancient-origins

In Medieval England, Magic Was A Service Industry

Tabitha Stanmore / The Conversation Chances are that when you hear the words “ medieval magic ”, the image of a witch will spring to mind: wizened old crones huddled over a cauldron containing...
Mysterious Monk Walking Alone During Sunset. Source: Igor Ovsyannykov / CC BY 2.0
28 September, 2019 - 14:00 Morgan Smith

Italy’s Ancient Benandanti: Harvest Rites and Ghostly Battles

In the Friuli region of Italy in 1580, during the peak of the Roman Inquisition’s foray into witchcraft, an inquisitorial examination of a local town crier produced the following eerie testimony: “…...
A traditional bedroom in Cappadocia, Turkey. Credit: EvanTravels / Adobe Stock
22 September, 2019 - 22:45 ancient-origins

What Humans Have Been Doing in Bed for 77,000 Years

Groucho Marx once joked , “Anything that can’t be done in bed isn’t worth doing at all.” You might think he was referring to sleeping and sex. But humans, at one time or another, have done just about...
Statue of a woman covering herself. Credit: macondos / Adobe Stock
21 September, 2019 - 19:02 B. B. Wagner

The Shocking History of Virgin Tests and Cures

Virginity has been the obsession of men for thousands of years. It has driven the best people, like the virgin warrior Joan of Arc, to fight for just cause. Virginity has also lured the worst people...
The Tai Hang fire dragon dance is performed in Hong Kong during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Source: Hong Kong Tourism Board.
13 September, 2019 - 17:20 Ed Whelan

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival! Explore the Legends and the Myths

Nearly everyone has heard of the Chinese New Year festival, but there is another festival that is very important in China and East Asia. This is the Mid-Autumn Festival , which is an enormous party...
Several of the ancient pigments were deadly. Photo source: Ezume Images / Adobe Stock.
12 September, 2019 - 22:52 ancient origins

Poisonous Pigments: History’s Deadliest Colors

Throughout history, ancient civilizations have been using all kinds of ingenious ways to create pigments for the coloring of clothing, objects and even buildings. While some of the pigments were...
They newly discovered distillery in China. Source: Ecns.cn
10 September, 2019 - 14:03 Ed Whelan

Massive 500-Year-Old Distillery Found in China is on Industrial Scale

Archaeologists have discovered the ruins of a massive distillery in China that dates to the Ming and Qing dynasties. The discovery is believed to be the largest of its kind ever made in China,...
Dia De Muertos. Credit: Yuliya Ochkan / Adobe Stock
7 September, 2019 - 22:53 george fery

Mexican Day of the Dead – Bittersweet Remembrance of Departed Ancestors

The celebrated Mexican Day of the Dead means one thing for city dwellers and quite another for country folks. It is a day dedicated to the bittersweet remembrance of departed family members. It also...
Hysteria was a term used to diagnosis wandering womb a female medical condition branded by ancient Greeks. Source: rodjulian / Adobe Stock
7 September, 2019 - 18:51 B. B. Wagner

Beware the Wandering Wombs of Hysterical Women

From ancient Greek physician Hippocrates to the infamous doctor Isaac Baker Brown of the 19th century, the pains and ailments of women were thought to be because of a ‘wandering womb’, better known...

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