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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.

Beltane Fire Festival Celebrations.
9 May, 2019 - 01:23 Kerry Sullivan

The Pagan Wheel of the Year: What Elaborate Rituals and Events Mark this Sacred Cycle?

As more and more people describe themselves as ‘spiritual’ rather than religious, experts expect eco-friendly pagan movements will continue to grow. Already there are perhaps a million pagans in the...
Vintage magic book. Abracadabra used to be written and used as a talisman.
8 May, 2019 - 01:26 dhwty

Say the Magic Word: The Origins of Abracadabra

Magic words are often used by magicians whilst performing magic tricks on stage. One of the most common of these incantations is ‘Abracadabra’. Although this word is known to many, it is likely that...
Suspects in Ancient India Forced to Chew Rice to Determine Their Guilt.
5 May, 2019 - 13:30 dhwty

Ordeal of Rice: Suspects in Ancient India Forced to Chew Rice to Determine Their Guilt

The ordeal of rice is a divine method of proof that was employed in ancient India. This ordeal involves suspects chewing on rice grains and then spitting them out. The condition of the grains is then...
Close-up of a woman's eyes and red bindi.
3 May, 2019 - 01:42 ancient-origins

Bindi: Investigating the True Meaning Behind the Hindu Forehead Dot

A distinct dot is a popular forehead decoration worn mainly in South Asia - especially in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Mauritius. It is an old Hindu tradition and is known as a bindi,...
Beltane. Source: chrisdonia/CC BY NC SA 2.0
1 May, 2019 - 18:46 Alicia McDermott

Beltane: Celtic Fire Festival Beckons with the Warmth of Summer

Celtic tribes celebrated Beltane to welcome the return of summer. Since at least the Iron Age, celebrations have included fire ceremonies, feasting, and fertility rites. Historically, the festival...
Production of salt for the salt trade.
28 April, 2019 - 14:00 dhwty

When Salt Was Traded for Gold: The Salt Trade of West Africa that Built Kingdoms and Spread Culture

In West Africa during the Medieval period, salt was traded for gold. This may seem astonishing as salt is a cheap commodity in today’s society. It may be added that salt is easily available today...
Cowrie shell money. Source: tradol / Adobe.
26 April, 2019 - 13:58 dhwty

Paying With Shells: Cowrie Shell Money Is One of the Oldest Currencies Still Collected Today

Shell money is a form of currency that was used in various parts of the world, including Asia , Africa, and Oceania . This type of money makes use of a type of marine snail known as cowrie and...
Dark demonb (Luis Louro / Adobe Stock)
25 April, 2019 - 13:56 ancient-origins

Ancient Curses: Five Ways to Create Calamity in the Ancient World

Ever since the days when magic first arose, people have been looking to manipulate the world with supernatural means and divine intervention – often for positive ends, but also to punish or send...
Napoleon's Return from Elba, by Charles Auguste Guillaume Steuben. Napoleon walk between the two forces and said if they were to kill their emperor; they were to do it now. Chauvinism was originally a term applied to veteran soldiers who served under Napoleon
21 April, 2019 - 14:02 dhwty

What is Chauvinism? Tracing the Term from the Legendary Nicolas Chauvin to Misogyny

In the modern world, a chauvinist is a person who has “excessive or prejudiced support for one's own cause, group, or sex”. Before this, the word ‘ chauvinism ’ had a narrower scope, and was used...
Traditional hand-made bread (gosphotodesign / Adobe Stock)
18 April, 2019 - 18:59 Ed Whelan

History Buff Bakes Ancient Egyptian Bread Using 1,500-Year-Old Yeast Scrapings

A history enthusiast has baked loaves of ancient bread based on an ancient Egyptian recipe and using an ingredient that was 1,500 years old – yeast scrapings taken from ancient Egyptian bread pots...
Kalash woman. Kalash people have a fascinating history and culture.
16 April, 2019 - 23:01 dhwty

Are the Distinctive Kalash People of Pakistan Really Descendants of Alexander the Great’s Army?

The Kalash (also known as the Kalasha) are an indigenous people living in what is today Pakistan. Although Pakistan is an Islamic Republic, with more than 95% of its population being adherents of...
A Place for Traditional African Medicine in a Modern World
9 April, 2019 - 18:25 dhwty

Traditional African Medicine and its Role in Healing in a Modern World

Herbalism, divination, and spiritualism often combine in traditional African medicine, perhaps the oldest and most varied therapeutic system in the world. This holistic health care system has many...
Drolleries were common in medieval manuscripts.
6 April, 2019 - 13:57 dhwty

Drolleries of the Middle Ages Included Comical Yet Sinister Killer Rabbits and Erotic Art

A drollerie (also spelled as drollery) is a type of marginalia found on Medieval manuscripts. Drolleries are amusing, often grotesque, figures drawn on the edges of manuscripts and may be found in...
A Sámi family in front of goahti and lavvu housing, early 1900s, Norway
4 April, 2019 - 02:05 Alicia McDermott

The Sami People: Reindeer Herding and Cultural Survival in the Far North

The Sámi are the northernmost indigenous people of Europe. For thousands of years they have lived in an area called Sápmi - the northern sectors of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and the Kola Peninsula...
The engraving of the gods depicted on the kudurru were arranged in a particular order.
28 March, 2019 - 12:54 dhwty

Signs of a Civilization? The Sacred Boundary Stones of Babylonia

A kudurru (meaning ‘boundary’ or ‘frontier’ in Akkadian ) is a type of stone document used in ancient Mesopotamia . While stone monuments have been used at various times in ancient Mesopotamia, it is...
Ancient assassin at the sea.
26 March, 2019 - 22:03 Sarah P Young

10 Killer Tactics From the Secret World of Ancient Assassins

The game series Assassin’s Creed is a wildly successful franchise following a secret order of assassins who have existed for thousands of years. The games are known for their historical accuracy and...
During the early 17th century the English common law was introduced to Ireland replacing ancient Irish law.
25 March, 2019 - 17:53 dhwty

Ancient Irish Law: Collective Responsibility Sometimes Had a Sting in its Tail

During the early 17 th century the English completed their conquest of Ireland and English common law was introduced on the island. Prior to this, a set of native laws was used to for the island’s...
Representation of the Winged Hussars
24 March, 2019 - 12:57 dhwty

The Winged Hussars: An Eerie and Flamboyant Cavalry That Devasted Their Enemies

The Winged Hussars (known also as the Polish Hussars) were a type of shock cavalry used by the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth . The Winged Hussars were formed during the 16 th century and were used...
Tibet Death Ritual is practiced by experienced lamas not novice monks.
23 March, 2019 - 17:55 isav

The Beauty of Death, Dying and Rebirth in Tibetan Buddhist Rituals

In Tibet they have a lot of interesting beliefs and rituals regarding death and the world beyond. There is even a ritual exclamation which a lama who officiates makes near the body of the deceased in...
Holi festival painting
20 March, 2019 - 00:43 dhwty

Happy Holi: Ancient Legends Behind India's Colorful Celebration

Holi is an ancient Indian spring festival that celebrates love, color, and the triumph of good over evil. Traditionally, this was a major Hindu religious festival in North India, but the fun,...
Kurdaitcha is a ritual executioner
19 March, 2019 - 17:51 dhwty

How Does the Aboriginal Executioner ‘Kurdaitcha Man’ Avenge the Dead?

Kurdaitcha (known also as Kurdaitcha man) is a ritual ‘ executioner ’ in the culture of the Aboriginal peoples of Australia , in particular the Arrernte people of Central Australia. The job of a...
exorcism
15 March, 2019 - 15:37 Dr. Heather Lynn

Demonic Exorcisms in the Temple Schools of Mesopotamia

In the temple-schools of Mesopotamia , students learned exorcism rituals, how to mix healing atonements, perform astrology, and how to cure demonic possession. While these skills may seem archaic now...
Spartan warrior.
14 March, 2019 - 22:00 Caleb Strom

Spartan Soldier From Birth: Growing Up In A City of Warriors

The Greek city-state of Sparta is famous for being a city of soldiers. Its entire society was oriented towards warfare. The Spartan phalanxes were unstoppable on land and known for their...
Commandaria wine was served at King Richard’s wedding in Cyprus. He proclaimed that it was “the wine of kings and the king of wines”.
14 March, 2019 - 17:51 Caleb Strom

Commandaria: The Oldest Wine in Production, Praised By Homer, and Richard the Lionheart's "King of Wines"

The first evidence of wine making is from the Caucasus Mountains bordering Eastern Europe and Western Asia around 6000 BC. From there it spread throughout the ancient Near East to gradually become...

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