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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.

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...
Carlisle Cursing Stone, carved in 2000 using a 16th century curse.
13 March, 2019 - 22:09 Sarah P Young

Cursing Stones of Ireland: When Christianity and Pagans Pooled Their Sacred Water

Ireland is a country famed for its spectacular scenery and landscapes. Known to many as the Emerald Isle, the land is characterized by lush and verdant greenery. But the landscape is more than just...
Matriarchal woman
7 March, 2019 - 19:01 Philip Jamieson

Uncovering the Truth Behind Matriarchal Societies in the Ancient World

A theme common amongst the mythology of ancient cultures is a belief in the existence of a Golden Age , when humans lived uncorrupted, in peace and harmony, experiencing prosperity and societal...
A popular Celtic symbol is the Celtic Cross.
6 March, 2019 - 22:52 valdar

Irish and Celtic Symbols: The True Meanings Behind Signs of Pride and Power

Irish and Celtic symbols reflect ancient beliefs and traditions and were believed to influence lives. The meanings of symbols such as the Claddagh, Crann Bethadh, Triquetra, and Triskelion have lived...
Mudlarking on the exposed foreshore at low spring tide.
6 March, 2019 - 14:00 dhwty

Mudlarking the Thames: How a Riverbed Became the World’s Biggest Archaeological Site

A mudlark is the name given to a person who scavenges in the foreshore of a river for objects that could be sold. This term applies specifically to those operating along the Thames River in London...
Greece
28 February, 2019 - 23:01 Caleb Strom

Rekindling of the Hearth of Hellenism - A Return to Worship of the Greek Gods

Europe is in the midst of a pagan revival. Across Europe , different cultures are attempting to revive their pre-Christian religious heritage. Greece is no exception. Although the movement is small,...
A scene from The Ballad of Narayama
24 February, 2019 - 18:57 dhwty

Ubasute: Is the Ancient Tradition of Dumping the Elderly in a Forest Encouraging Modern Murder?

Ubasute is an ancient practice from Japanese folklore in which a sick or elderly relative is dumped in a remote place to die. Although ubasute is attested in a number of Japanese legends , it is...
Duk Duk dancers; the Duk Duk - secret society of men, 1913.
19 February, 2019 - 18:37 dhwty

The Duk Duk: An Ancient Secret Society of Possessed Executioners

The Duk Duk is a secret society of the Tolai people in Papua New Guinea. This ancient secret sect has played an important social role for centuries and continues to operate today, although with a...
A beautifully decorated bent sword, 826-600 BC, part of the finds in a noble's grave at Oss in The Netherlands.
18 February, 2019 - 23:02 dhwty

The Killing of Swords: A Destructive Funerary Rite To Release the Spirit of Weapons Into the Afterlife

The deliberate destruction of grave goods before burial is a funerary practice found in a number of different ancient cultures. The most notable grave goods that are ‘killed’ are weapons such as...
Sorcerer in hood standing in front of an ancient destructed Babylon tower with flood, fire & hurricane illustration
16 February, 2019 - 18:52 Sarah P Young

Mesopotamian Magic: Ancient Tablets Reveal a World of Witches, Sorcerers and Exorcists

Ancient Mesopotamia was a vast region in Western Asia which has become known as the ‘cradle of civilization’ due to the huge number of feats the culture achieved. Agriculture, animal herding, and...
Closeup wedding accessory - bridal veil.
14 February, 2019 - 22:51 dhwty

The Origins of the Bridal Veil and Its Protection From Evil Spirits

The bridal veil is one of the most recognizable elements of a traditional Western bridal ensemble. This bridal accessory is reckoned to have its origins in Roman times. In the past, it was believed...
Relics of St. Valentine of Terni at the basilica of Saint Mary in Cosmedin.
14 February, 2019 - 19:02 ancient-origins

The ‘Real’ St. Valentine Was No Patron of Love

By Lisa Bitel / The Conversation On Feb. 14, sweethearts of all ages will exchange cards, flowers, candy, and more lavish gifts in the name of St. Valentine. But as a historian of Christianity, I can...
Spartan warrior holding spear and shield.
12 February, 2019 - 14:00 dhwty

How the Spartan Arsenal Helped Make Them Some of The Deadliest Warriors of the Ancient World

The ancient Greek city state of Sparta is renowned for its military prowess. As a militaristic society, Spartan males were trained to be warriors from a young age, and this was the only career they...
Amazonian native
9 February, 2019 - 22:55 Sarah P Young

Ten of the Most Critically Endangered Languages in the World

There are 195 countries in the world, but a staggering 7000 living languages. UNESCO’s list of endangered languages , which functions in a similar way to the lists for endangered animals and plants,...
Beautiful woman with fashion make-up and hairstyle like Egyptian queen Cleopatra (EmotionPhoto / Adobe Stock)
9 February, 2019 - 13:31 Sarah P Young

8 Ancient Beauty Secrets We Can Still Use Today

Beautification and cosmetology have been important to humans for many thousands of years. Obsessing over our appearance is something that seems to go back to the very roots of modern human behavior,...
Formidable Viking in Armor with axe.
6 February, 2019 - 22:57 ancient-origins

Ragnar Shaggy-Trousers and Eystein Foul-Fart: The Truth Behind Viking Names

Vikings are pretty trendy of late. Marvel’s Thor films, for example, gave Viking mythology the Hollywood treatment and plonked its characters in contemporary America. There have been multiple Viking...
Inside the planned mid-England Barrow.
3 February, 2019 - 18:36 Ed Whelan

A Return to Ancient Burial Traditions: Want to Be Buried in a Barrow?

Humanity has buried their dead in a variety of ways, down the ages. In the distant past the dead were often buried in barrows. It has been many millennia since one of these burial sites has been...
Statue of ancient Greek athlete
3 February, 2019 - 14:00 dhwty

Before the Olympiad There Was The Panathenaea – The Greek Festival and Games to Honor Athena

The Panathenaea was an ancient and important festival celebrated in the ancient Greek city state of Athens. This festival was held in honor of Athena Polias , the city’s patron goddess, and...
Woman in the countryside
2 February, 2019 - 18:21 Sarah P Young

Kulning: The Ancient Swedish Herding Call That Has Echoed Through the Ages

Kulning is a vocal art with its origins in the forests and mountains of Scandinavia. It was first used as a method to call back cattle who were left free to graze in the wild landscape, but it is...
Old iron chastity belt from Middle Ages.
29 January, 2019 - 22:54 Sarah P Young

The Long Fascination With the Chastity Belt – But Was it Just A Fantasy?

The chastity belt is an item that titillates and fascinates in equal measure. The idea of the brave medieval knight locking up his beloved, naively believing a mere padlock would be enough to keep...
Woman at Petra.
28 January, 2019 - 17:36 Sarah P Young

Were the Women of Petra More Important Than the Men?

The Nabataeans were a society who inhabited Arabia and the Southern Levant from the 3rd century BC to approximately 106 AD when the Nabataean kingdom was annexed by the Roman Empire. Known for their...
Thai style garden. Located in Royal Park Rajapruek, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
27 January, 2019 - 13:58 ancient-origins

Heaven on Earth: The Ancient Roots of The Backyard Garden

You don’t have to be an avid gardener or know all the Latin names of plants to appreciate the opportunity for reflection that a stroll in the garden can afford us. The explosion of colors, shapes,...
Relief representing a two-headed eagle on the sphinx located at the right of the Sphinx Gate, Alaca Höyük, Turkey.
24 January, 2019 - 13:59 Carly Silver

How a Two Headed Bird of Prey Ruled Ancient Mesopotamia and Hatti

Several infamous empires of the early modern period and current modern periods bore curious insignia. The Byzantine, Austrian, and Russian Empires all adopted the symbol of a mythical creature, a...

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