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Riley Winters

Riley Winters is a Pre-PhD art historical, archaeological, and philological researcher who holds a degree in Classical Studies and Art History, and a Medieval and Renaissance Studies minor from Christopher Newport University. She is also a graduate of Celtic and Viking Archaeology at the University of Glasgow.

History

Member for: 9 years 7 months

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Posts

Beowulf fighting Grendel’s Mother beside Grendel’s body.

6 April, 2019 - 01:30 Riley Winters

Of Monsters and Men: What Is the Grim Being Known as Grendel from the Epic Beowulf?

Nowadays, monsters hide under your bed. They come out of the closet or dangle from your ceiling. Children usually picture such monsters with fangs or scales, glowing eyes, and claws. With the right...

24 March, 2019 - 11:28 Riley Winters

Ivar the Boneless: Viking Warrior, Ruler and Raider

One would expect "boneless" to describe a man without a lick of bravery. Or perhaps a man without a shred of compassion in a heart of ice. Yet in the case of the infamous Ivar the Boneless, son of...

Midir and Etain flying up out of Eochaid's hall

22 March, 2019 - 16:40 Riley Winters

The Wooing of Etain: An Irish Tale of Love, Loss, and Jealousy

Étaín is a character from Irish mythology with an extraordinary life story. Her immense physical and spiritual beauty enthralled a member of the fairy folk and made her the heroine of the tale ‘The...

17 March, 2019 - 16:29 Riley Winters

Fenrir: The Monstrous Wolf of Norse Legend

One of the three children of Loki by a giantess (jötunn ) named Angrboða, Fenrir plays an imperative, though short, role in Norse mythology. A wolf of remarkable size and strength, Fenrir has one...

Manannán mac Lir sculpture by John Sutton at Gortmore, Magilligan, County Londonderry (2014).

8 March, 2019 - 02:19 Riley Winters

Manannan Mac Lir: God of the Sea and Guardian of the Afterlife

Manannan mac Lir is likely the most prominent sea deity of Irish mythology and literature. With his sea-borne chariot, affiliation with horses and cloak of invisibility, he guards the otherworld and...

Illustration of a Celtic warrior woman by RottenRagamuffin

8 March, 2019 - 00:12 Riley Winters

The Woman Behind the Man: Celtic Warrior Scathach, Teacher of Warriors

Scáthach, meaning “The Shadowy One” in Gaelic, was a mythical Celtic warrior and martial arts trainer. Her school of warriors turned out some of the top Celtic heroes. Her most famous student was Cú...

1 March, 2019 - 01:59 Riley Winters

Living in a Man's World: The Untimely & Brutal Death of Hypatia

Hypatia was a philosopher, mathematician, and astronomer who lived in a man’s world in 4th century Alexandria. Times were turbulent and the brutal and sudden end to Hypatia’s life shows just how...

Romulus' Victory Over Acron’ (1812) by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres. Romulus was the first Roman king.

14 January, 2019 - 15:37 Riley Winters

The Seven Kings of Rome: Tumultuous Origins of the Roman Republic

In the beginning, there was only dirt and mud and twigs. Then came the legendary hero Aeneas, and from him descended the sons of Rhea Silva and Mars, the god of war. These sons were Romulus and Remus...

John Dee performing an experiment before Queen Elizabeth I.

6 October, 2018 - 03:19 Riley Winters

John Dee: Scholar, Astrologer, and Occult Practitioner that Captivated the Royal Court of 16th Century England

Born into the era of intellectual and artistic reawakening, John Dee quickly rose through Elizabethan society as a scholar, philosopher, navigator, doctor, and astrologer of the Queen of England...

27 September, 2018 - 01:24 Riley Winters

Mazu: Legendary Guardian of the Chinese Seas and Social Media Marvel

Princess of Supernatural Favor, Empress of Heaven, Goddess of the South China Sea - these are just a few of the illustrious titles given to the Chinese goddess Mazu (Mat-su) since her incursion into...

Shinto painting from manuscript of Todaiji, Nara, Japan

28 August, 2018 - 00:06 Riley Winters

Purification as the Core of the Ancient Shinto Faith

A ritual based religion, Shintoism is defined as "the way of the gods" in Japan, from the Chinese Shendao. It is the indigenous religion of the country, and survives today as the state religion,...

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...

15 July, 2018 - 21:38 Riley Winters

How it Ends: The Ancient Roots of Doomsday Prophecies and End of the World Beliefs

Hollywood’s obsession with the End of Times is not over yet – Armageddon, Deep Impact, Doomsday, Legion, Thor: Ragnarok and 28 Days Later, are just a few of the blockbusters, out of hundreds, that...

21 June, 2018 - 04:54 Riley Winters

The Illustrious Life of Pliny the Elder, Ancient Historian and Roman Commander

Gaius Plinius Secundus, better known in history as Pliny the Elder, was an influential administrator, officer, and author during his life. Although he was only fifty-six years old at the time of his...

A relief of Epona, flanked by two pairs of horses, from Roman Macedonia, foruth century C.E.

5 June, 2018 - 22:11 Riley Winters

The Celtic Goddess Epona that Rode Swiftly Across the Ancient Roman Empire

The protector of horses, mules, and cavalry, Epona was one of the only non-Roman goddesses to have been wholly adopted by the Roman Empire . Often depicted astride a horse, Epona resonated in the...

A seida (worshiped stone) Tromsø, Norway.

18 May, 2018 - 19:01 Riley Winters

Sami Spirituality and the Cult of the Sacred Stones

The Cult of the Sacred Stones belong to the Sami people of northern Europe. The Sami (occasionally spelled Saami) live in Lapland, a part of northern Europe near Norway, Sweden and Finland, and...