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Catacomb Saint - Saint Gratian. Source: Xenophon / CC BY-SA 4.0.
10 July, 2019 - 19:08 Aleksa Vučković

A Beauty in Darkness: The Hidden Secrets of the Catacomb Saints

Death was always a source of mystery for people around the world. But what happens when we erase that invisible border and make the dead a thing to worship? Never too far from every major turn of...
Medieval King Louis IX refused to eat his greens. Credit: diter / Adobe Stock
23 June, 2019 - 14:03 ashley cowie

Crusader King Died Because He Refused to Eat His Greens

A French sleuth may have solved the mystery of the death of France's famed King Louis IX, better known as Saint Louis. He was the last of the crusader kings and it was believed that he died of plague...
Ancient mysteries (Fyle / Adobe Stock)
1 June, 2019 - 22:51 ancient-origins

Ten Bizarre Mysteries Across Time and Space

All through history and time people have been trying to solve unexplained phenomena and bizarre mysteries . As humans, we’re often fascinated and sometimes frightened by what we don’t understand. But...
Medieval style buildings in Passau where three people were found dead, shot by crossbow
15 May, 2019 - 01:18 Alicia McDermott

Medieval Weapon Enthusiasts Killed With Crossbows

A quaint Bavarian hotel has become the scene of a murder mystery with medieval links. When hotel employees found the dead bodies of three people the scene was described as something akin to a scene...
The End of the Huns: The Death of Attila and the Fall of the Hunnic Empire
13 May, 2019 - 22:09 dhwty

The End of the Huns: The Death of Attila and the Fall of the Hunnic Empire

Attila the Hun was also known as Flagellum Dei , which means the ‘Scourge of God.’ With him at the lead, the Huns were one of the biggest threats faced by the Roman Empire. Although he was famously...
Tartarus
14 April, 2019 - 23:05 dhwty

The Hell of Tartarus, Ancient Greek Prison of the Damned

Tartarus is infernal abyss of Greek mythology, which is used as a pit of suffering for the wicked and as a dungeon for the Titans.IT is also the name of a deity, a primordial being that existed...
6 April, 2019 - 23:02 Natalia Klimczak

Anubis, Egyptian God of the Dead and the Underworld

As god of embalming and the dead, the afterlife and lost souls, Anubis is one of the most prominent and mystical gods of ancient Egypt. He was known since the earliest periods in the history of the...
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...
Picture of a Shinigami
14 March, 2019 - 00:44 dhwty

Shinigami: The Grim Reaper and God of Death in Japanese Folklore

Shinigami are Japanese death gods or death spirits. They are akin to the Grim Reaper in many ways, however these supernatural beings may be somewhat less frightening and they arrived later on the...
Portrait of Adolf Frederick of Sweden
9 March, 2019 - 14:01 dhwty

Adolf Frederick: The Swedish King Who Ate Himself to Death

Adolf Frederick was a Swedish king who lived during the 18 th century. Although Adolf Frederick ruled Sweden for almost 20 years, it was unremarkable and nothing of great note took place during his...
Detail of ‘Brawl between soldiers and peasants’ (1565-1570) by the Circle of Marten van Cleve. A new ‘murder map’ shows that Medieval London streets were the backdrop to many murders.
28 November, 2018 - 18:57 ancient-origins

Beaten to Death for Littering with Eel Skins: ‘Murder Map’ Reveals Medieval London’s Meanest Streets

The first digital map of the murders recorded by the city's Coroner in early 1300s shows Cheapside and Cornhill were homicide ‘hot spots’, and Sundays held the highest risk of violent death for...
‘Hercules Fighting Death to Save Alcestis’ (1869-1871) by Frederic Leighton, 1st Baron Leighton. Many ancient death rituals seem very odd or macabre to modern minds.
10 November, 2018 - 19:01 ashley cowie

Bizarre, Brutal, Macabre And Downright Weird Ancient Death Rituals

Any parent must agree that one of the greatest hardships experienced around the death of a family member is having to explain to children what happened and what happens next? Should you tell them the...
A supposed Victorian tear catcher. The real use of this type of glass vial is debatable.
5 November, 2018 - 18:58 dhwty

Capturing Scents, Not Tears: Debunking the Myth of Tear Catchers

Victorians are often remembered for their obsession with death and mourning. It is not too surprising to discover that they had specific practices and even special objects created to further enhance...
A man marrying a deceased woman in China
16 August, 2018 - 17:23 Riley Winters

Ghost Marriages: Love For the Living and the Deceased

The tradition of the ghost marriage is one that supposedly stretches back to the first imperial dynasty of China: the Qin Dynasty, dating from the years 221 BC – 206 BC. The most comprehensive early...
Ancient human remains.
28 July, 2018 - 22:59 ancient-origins

Nine Weird and Wonderful Facts about Death and Funeral Practices

It might not be something you want to think about very often, but it turns out that the way we treat our dead in the modern age is heavily influenced by the way our ancestors treated theirs. When you...
Illustration of Dante’s Paradise by Giovanni de Paulo.
24 July, 2018 - 01:59 ancient-origins

What is Heaven?

Joanne M. Pierce / The Conversation When a family member or a friend passes away, we often find ourselves reflecting on the question “Where are they now?” As mortal beings, it is a question of...

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