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Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ

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Photograph of the Pocahontas statue in Historic Jamestown, Virginia, USA.                            Source: I, Rolfmueller/CC BY-SA 3.0

The Real Pocahontas: Tragedy Beneath the Jamestown Sky (Video)

The historical narrative of Pocahontas , popularized through the writings of English explorer John Smith, presents a complex and contested tale. Smith, a key figure in Jamestown's early days,...
Mulan as depicted in the album Gathering Gems of Beauty (Qing dynasty, 18th century).	Source: Public Domain

Beyond Disney: The True History of Mulan (Video)

The rich history behind Mulan , beyond Disney's cinematic adaptations, spans over 1,500 years. Originating as an ancient Chinese ballad during the late Northern Wei Dynasty, the tale likely draws...
Alcazar castle, Segovia, Spain. Source: jon_chica / Adobe Stock.

The Spanish Castle That Inspired Walt Disney (Video)

Nestled within the heart of central Spain lies the Alcázar of Segovia , an architectural marvel that has captured the imagination of generations. This extraordinary castle , perched atop a rocky crag...
Representation of Pocahontas. Source: likoper / Adobe Stock.

The Heartbreaking True Story of Pocahontas (Video)

The true story of Pocahontas is far from the fairy tale depicted in the Disney movie . Pocahontas, whose real name was Matoaka, was the daughter of Powhatan, the powerful chief of the Powhatan...
Pedro González and his wife Catherine (c. 1575) by Joris Hoefnagel. Source: Public domain

Beauty and the Beast Was Inspired by a Tragic True Story

While the fairytale Beauty and the Beast has a happy ending, the tragic true story on which it was based most certainly did not. Published in France as La Belle et la Bête , it seems that the 1740...
Was Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs based on real events?

Exploring the True Origins of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is one of the most famous fairy tales in the world, first related in 1812 when the Grimm brothers published their collection of tales that had been gathered from old...
Chinese Warrior Woman

The Dramatic True Story Behind Disney's Mulan

Hua Mulan is one of the most legendary women of ancient China. Her heroic actions were first recorded in ancient texts, retold in the famous poem Ballad of Mulan , and later popularized in the 1998...
Pocahontas

The True Story of Pocahontas as NOT told by Disney

Pocahontas is remembered as the Native American Powhatan princess who saved the life of Englishman John Smith, married John Rolfe and fostered peace between English settlers and Native Americans. In...
Disney ALMOST Got It Right: From Moana to Mayhem, The Mythology Behind the Real Maui

Disney ALMOST Got It Right: From Moana to Mayhem, The Mythology Behind the Real Maui

Disney’s latest animated feature film, Moana , has achieved critical acclaim, already netting over half a billion dollars. It tells the story of a Polynesian princess, who must seek out Maui, a...
Cinderella's slipper

The 2,200-year-old Tale of the Chinese Cinderella

Before there was Cinderella, there was Ye Xian. Undeniably one of the most well-read fairy tales made popular by Disney’s 1950s film, Cinderella describes the life of a young woman forced into...