All  

Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ

Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ Mobile

inquisition

Painting of the 1680 auto de fé, at Plaza Mayor in Madrid.		Source: Public Domain

The Horrors of the Spanish Inquisition Explained (Video)

The Spanish Inquisition's enduring impact is evident in modern Spain, where regions affected by it still exhibit socioeconomic indicators reflective of its historical legacy. Originating from Pope...
Medieval Queen. Source: aicandy / Adobe Stock.

History's 10 Most Ruthless Queens and Brutal Rulers (Video)

Throughout history, powerful women have wielded authority with determination. Countess Elizabeth Bathory had a dark obsession, enjoying the torture of the lower classes. Empress Wu Zetian , China's...
Examination of a Witch by Tompkins Harrison Matteson, inspired by the Salem witch trials (1853) (Public Domain)

Strixology: Recording Diabolical Practices Of Renaissance European Witch Hunts

Foemina Instrumentum Diaboli can be translated as ‘Women are instruments of the devil’, which sums up the essence of Renaissance witch hunts in Europe. The word ‘witch’ evokes the figure of an...
Martyr of Fanaticism by José de Brito depicts a young woman being tortured during the Spanish Inquisition. Source: Public domain

The Spanish Inquisition: The Truth Behind the Black Legend (Part II)

One of the most controversial organizations in history, the Spanish Inquisition has been poorly understood by the general public. This period of religious persecution, which took place between 1478...
Auto de Fe in the Plaza Mayor, an oil painting from 1683 by Francisco Rizi. The painting depicts the ritual public penance carried out by heretics and apostates during the Spanish Inquisition. Source: Public domain

The Spanish Inquisition: The Truth behind the Dark Legend (Part I)

One of the most controversial organizations in history, the Spanish Inquisition has been poorly understood by the general public. This period of religious persecution, which took place between 1478...
An illustration of a torture horse of the Spanish Donkey or Wooden Horse variety. (Public domain)

The Spanish Donkey: Medieval History’s Most Horrific Torture Method

Throughout history, two things have remained constant. First, the intermingling of cultures has produced countless local variations of original ideas, be it cuisine, or language, or fashion. Second,...
In the famous Eighty Years' War or Dutch War of Independence, ice skates played a crucial role in the final outcome between Spain and the Netherlands that also led to the end of the notorious Spanish Inquisition. Blades of ice skates, made by the German company "Kondor," from about 1890. 		Source: Christos Vittoratos / CC BY-SA 4.0

Battles on Ice Skates in the 1500s: The Dutch Against The Spanish!

When you think of Spain, you don’t normally think of ice skates. Yet, that’s exactly what the King of Spain wanted back in 1572. And it wasn’t just a single pair; the king specifically requested 7,...
The persecution of witches is a common theme within the history of witchcraft. Source: Matrioshka / Adobe Stock

The Long History of Witchcraft Persecution

Since the beginnings of history, humans believed in religions of a polytheist type, worshipping a plurality of gods and spirits. By proposing a monotheist religious system, Christianity intended to...
A monk inquisitor. Source: Shaman-foto /Adobe Stock

Magic, Scandal and Promiscuity, All in a Day’s Work for a Maltese Inquisitor

The Inquisition is normally associated with the ardent renegades of the Renaissance who preferred to die defending science and humanism than go along with the religious dogma that persecuted free-...
Posthumous portrait of Queen Isabella I of Castile.

Queen Isabella of Castile: Drama, Inquisition, and Exploration

Isabella I was a Queen of Castile and León who lived between the middle of the 15th and the beginning of the 16th centuries. Her reign is notable for a number of important events, including the...
Mysterious Monk Walking Alone During Sunset. Source: Igor Ovsyannykov / CC BY 2.0

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: “…...
Hecate: Procession to a Witches' Sabbath by Jusepe de Ribera  (1591–1652) (Public Domain)

The Fate of English Witches: From Water Torture to Divine Retribution

During the Early Modern period of European history – from the Renaissance (1500) to the French Revolution (1800), hundreds of thousands of witches suffered the terrible fate of being burned at the...
: A hooded Inquisitor in a Medieval torture chamber. Source: diter /Adobe Stock

Medieval Torture: The Terrifying Threat of Twisting off Limbs and Burning Flesh

The Medieval period is often called (rightly or wrongly) one of the most brutal eras in European history. One of the most notorious features of the Middle Ages was the use of torture. Although...
Tarot card depicting Baphomet, detail

Baphomet: Was the Diabolical Demon Really Worshipped by Knights Templars?

Baphomet is the demonic entity allegedly worshipped by the Knights Templars who later became a symbol for Satanic worships. During the Inquisition of the Templars in the 14th century, the knights...
Johnny Depp as Gellert Grindelwald

Fantastic Beasts: Grindelwald, Dark Fantasies and Secret Societies

At the end of the Harry Potter fantasy prequel, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them , we find out about the dark wizard Grindelwald as well as his plan to expose the magical community to the...
The Cat Came Back: A More Than Magical History – Part II

The Cat Came Back: A More Than Magical History – Part II

Cats have been on the human scene for 9,000 years. We came out of the caves, and they were there with us. Ever since, cats have been immortalized in art. They have been painted in fresco, sculpted in...
The Resurrection. (c. 1715-1716) By S. Ricci.

Hidden Beliefs Covered by the Church? Resurrection and Reincarnation in Early Christianity

Is it possible that early Christians believed in reincarnation? Although some may find this idea unbelievable, several Christian sources (including the Bible) suggest that many centuries ago, it was...
Deriv; Ordination of Jacques de Molay in 1265 as a Knight Templar, at the Beaune commandery and the Chinon Parchment.

The Guilt of the Gnostic Knights Templar: The Chinon Parchment

The recently discovered Chinon Parchment of the Vatican Library in 2001 has brought a level of redemption to the Knights Templar. It does not discount their “heretical” activities, which were...
Old engraving depicting a coven.

The Zugarramurdi Witch Trials: Welcome to the Spanish Salem

On the border with France, embraced by a vast green pasture on which the cows calmly graze, lies the village of Zugarramurdi. Located in the Navarre region of Xareta this tiny village currently has...