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Colorful Whirling Dervish Dance

The Whirling Dervish Dance: A Sacred Ritual to Touch the Divine

The divine may be experienced through a variety of means. In various global spiritual traditions, these include prayer, meditation on sacred texts, participation in religious ceremonies, and going on...
Reog Ponorogo traditional dance lion and peacock mask

The Reog Ponorogo: A Dance of Rebellion Which Changed History

A fearsome lion monster with peacock feathers on its head charged and twirled about as cavalrymen curtseyed and jumped by. The onlookers were entranced with the story playing out in front of them...
Cormorant fishing on the Li River during the blue hour of dawn, Guangxi, China. (stveak /Adobe Stock)

Man and Bird Join Forces: The Unique Tradition of Cormorant Fishing

Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man how to fish, and you will feed him for a lifetime. This ancient proverb is a well-known saying around the world, and is directly tied to one...
Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? A Fearsome Beast in Legends and Tales Around the World

Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? A Fearsome Beast in Tales Around the World

There are many stock characters that are present in folk stories, fairy tales, and legends from all over the world. However, few are as constant as the figure of the Big Bad Wolf, a giant predator...
Battle at Lanka, Ramayana, by Sahib Din. Source: Public Domain

Ramayana: The Grand Epic of Ancient India

Ramayana is an integral part of life for millions of Hindus across the globe. It is one of the two most popular epics written in Sanskrit from ancient India, the other one being Mahabharata...
Stained glass window showing the French brotherhood ‘Confrérie des Charitables de Saint-Éloi’,  in Saint-Vaast Church, Béthune         Source: CC BY-SA 3.0

French Brotherhood, Still Burying the Dead After 800 Years

In France, a brotherhood that is over 800 years old is helping to bury the dead during the COVID-19 pandemic. This fraternity, which has its origins in medieval times, continues to assist at burials...
Zinder old town Source: CC BY 2.0

Zinder Old Town, Celebrated Cultural Capital of Niger

The history of the Sahel in Africa is a rich and exciting one. Many remains of great empires and cultures have been found in the region, but one of the most remarkable sites is the old town of Zinder...
A woman in a forest holding holly. Credit: LoloStock / Adobe Stock

Decking the Halls of History: The Pagan Origins of Christmas Decorations

The idea of hanging up decorations in the middle of winter is older than Christmas itself. Decorations are mentioned in ancient descriptions of the Roman feast of Saturnalia , which is thought to...
Zoroastrians have used Towers of Silence in their funerary practices

Zoroastrian Towers of Silence: Leaving the Dead for the Vultures

A tower of silence (known also as a ‘dakhma’) is a type of structure used for funerary purposes by adherents of the Zoroastrian faith. This Zoroastrian practice for the disposal of the dead involves...
: “The First Thanksgiving 1621, oil on canvas by Jean Leon Gerome Ferris (1899). The painting shows common misconceptions about the event that persist to modern times: Pilgrims did not wear such outfits, and the Wampanoag are dressed in the style of Native Americans from the Great

American Thanksgiving Origins and Roots in the Old World

As the leaves turn beautiful golden and fiery red hues, the weather gets colder, and people prepare for the oncoming winter in the Northern Hemisphere, Americans enjoy the annual celebration of...
Putting a Price on Marriage: The Long-standing Custom of Dowries

Putting a Price on Marriage: The Long-standing Custom of Dowries

A dowry is an ancient custom that requires the transfer of parental property to a daughter at her marriage , rather than at her father’s death. It is a tradition in which emotion does not play a role...
The Tai Hang fire dragon dance is performed in Hong Kong during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Source: Hong Kong Tourism Board.

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival! Explore the Legends and the Myths

Nearly everyone has heard of the Chinese New Year festival, but there is another festival that is very important in China and East Asia. This is the Mid-Autumn Festival , which is an enormous party...
The Harvest Moon. Source: klagyivik / Adobe Stock.

Rare Harvest Moon Occurs on Friday 13th

This year, the Harvest Moon rises today, Friday the 13th September. But why was this particular moon so special to ancient cultures? The brilliant Harvest Moon will appear tonight and will reach its...
Dia De Muertos. Credit: Yuliya Ochkan / Adobe Stock

Mexican Day of the Dead – Bittersweet Remembrance of Departed Ancestors

The celebrated Mexican Day of the Dead means one thing for city dwellers and quite another for country folks. It is a day dedicated to the bittersweet remembrance of departed family members. It also...
Grave of Slavic woman warrior buried with axe discovered in Denmark. Source: Danrentea / Adobe Stock.

Ancient Slavic Woman Warrior Buried In Viking Graveyard With Her Brutal Weapon Of Warcraft

Archaeologists excavating a Viking graveyard in Denmark have discovered the remains of a female buried with a large axe - but she was Slavic - which leads to the question; why on earth was she buried...
Example of a Bayaka woman hunting in southern Central African Republic in 2014. Source: Max Chiswick/CC BY SA 4.0

Hunter Gatherer Society Has a Time-Tested, Secret Method to Traverse the Rainforest

How do human foragers find food or the way home in rainforests, where heavy vegetation limits visibility, without a map, compass, or smartphone? Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for...
Following the Footsteps of the Ancestors: The Walkabout Coming of Age Ceremony

Following the Footsteps of the Ancestors: The Walkabout Coming of Age Ceremony

Australia has been inhabited for more than 50,000 years and the Aboriginal people have a complex and fascinating spiritual life. Their culture is filled with traditions and ceremonies with special...
Summer solstice Utah sunrise. Source: Heath /Adobe Stock

6 Spectacular Summer Solstice Celebrations Around the World

With the sun shining high, the summer solstice, aka the longest day of the year, is a day for celebration for many people around the world. For people living north of the equator, Friday, June 21 is...
A man alone in a faerie realm.

Mysterious Worlds: Travels to the Faerie and Shamanic Realms

There are many accounts of a land of immortality and eternal youth in world myths and legends, as well as shamanic and indigenous spiritual traditions. Mysterious Worlds Writing in his recent work,...
Close-up of a woman's eyes and red bindi.

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,...
Lord Buddha

Siddhartha Gautama: How The Father of Buddhism Walked From Suffering to Enlightenment

Siddhartha Gautama, also known as the Buddha or “Enlightened One,” is probably one of the most influential individuals to come out of India through the incidental founding of Buddhism . Siddhartha...
Somalia: The Ancient Lost Kingdom of Punt is Finally Found?

Somalia: The Ancient Lost Kingdom of Punt is Finally Found?

Tourists from all over the world are welcomed in Upper Egypt to admire temples and learn about the fascinating history of ancient pharaohs. However, the pharaohs’ true origins are not told and our...
Kalash woman. Kalash people have a fascinating history and culture.

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 Sámi family  in front of goahti and lavvu housing, early 1900s, Norway

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...

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