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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

28 January, 2017 - 02:04 Riley Winters

The Last of the Welsh Lords: Llywelyn Ap Gruffydd

Father, fighter, and final, Llywelyn ap Gruffydd was born around 1223 AD and was the last Welsh ruler of Wales. The second son of Gruffydd ap Llywelyn Fawr (himself the illegitimate son of Llywelyn...

21 January, 2017 - 01:59 Riley Winters

The Mother of all Gods: The Phrygian Cybele

A goddess of ecstatic and chthonic reproductive mysteries, Cybele was the primary mother goddess of ancient Anatolia, and Phrygia's only known goddess thus far. She was a "Mistress of Animals", "...

21 October, 2016 - 21:52 Riley Winters

The Ascension of Sleipnir: The Mythological Origins of Odin's Steed

Seven-headed monsters, one-eyed giants and blood-born winged horses are all shocking representations of the ways in which the well-known creatures of ancient Greek and Roman mythology transcend the...

12 October, 2016 - 14:41 Riley Winters

The Fallen Women: Were Victorian Prostitutes Really Fallen?

The Victorian era is notoriously known as an era of female repression: sex, drugs and rock and roll—or rather, their Victorian counterparts—were believed to be highly taboo topics of conversation,...

Page from the Codex Wallerstein "Mademoiselle Maupin de l'Opéra". Anonymous print, ca. 1700.

3 September, 2016 - 03:50 Riley Winters

Mademoiselle Maupin: A Damsel Who Was Never in Distress

Swords, brawls, and clandestine love affairs are often the stuff of fairy tales and adventure stories. But in the case of Julie d'Aubigny of Paris, this was all part of her everyday life. Also known...

24 August, 2016 - 21:43 Riley Winters

Eighth Priestess and Precious Grave Goods Unearthed in Famous San Jose de Moro Tomb

The remains of a Moche priestess have been unearthed at the famous tomb site of San Jose de Moro in Northwestern Peru. She is the fifth Moche priestess to be found at the site (an additional three...

22 August, 2016 - 00:51 Riley Winters

Pointing to Witchcraft: The Possible Origin of the Conical Witch's Hat

If one were to walk down a crowded street wearing a black conical hat, passersby would not question the wearer's intention. Obviously, the wearer would be playing the role of a witch. Yet as obvious...

Selkies, gems of sea mythology by Gwillieth / DeviantArt

8 August, 2016 - 03:49 Riley Winters

Legends of the Selkies, Hidden Gems of Sea Mythology

Amorous, affectionate and affable, Selkies are the hidden gems of sea mythology. Gentle souls who prefer dancing in the moonlight over luring sailors to their death, Selkies are often overlooked by...

Detail of a mural depicting a Moche priestess. Reconstruction of a Moche priestess.

7 August, 2016 - 00:46 Riley Winters

Performance and Power: Moche Priestesses Uncovered

Despite being an agricultural society of ceremonial performance, bold works of art, and innovative irrigation processes, the Moche (100-800AD) are best remembered as one of many Pre-Columbian...

1 August, 2016 - 02:22 Riley Winters

When the Church Bells Ring: Themes and Proclivities of the Danish Folktale "Agnete and the Merman"

Fascination with the Danish ballad Agnete og Havmanden , or "Agnete and the Merman", has long been prominent in the Scandinavian countries. In spite of arguments over origin and dating, the poem has...

30 July, 2016 - 21:37 Riley Winters

Lugh of the Long-Arm: The Martial and Sovereign Reach of Lugh Lama-fada

One of the most prominent characters of Irish mythology and literature, Lugh Lama-fada, served as the High King of Ireland for 20 years before his unfortunate death at the hands of the sons of...

An artistic representation of a Telchine.

28 July, 2016 - 21:47 Riley Winters

No Rest for the Wicked: The Role of the Telchines in the Myths of Greece and Rome

Magicians, artists and craftsmen, the Telchines are the proverbial jacks-of-all-trades - yet they are also atypical masters of all. Considered by most ancient authors to be malevolent daimons of the...

25 July, 2016 - 00:56 Riley Winters

Ancient Horse Burials of the Bronze Age: Folklore and Superstition

Horses have long been an important aspect in both western and eastern cultures. They are considered common in Indo-European traditions, with Chinese and Turkish traditions providing the most well-...

Folio 7v contains an image of theVirgin and Child.

12 July, 2016 - 03:47 Riley Winters

The Golden Age of the Christian Picts: Evidence for Religious Production at Portmahomack- Part 2

(Read Part I) The "Golden Age" of artisan efforts at the Tarbat monastery did not last nearly as long as the monastery of Iona; the industrial locations were burned in a site wide fire in the eighth...

Abbey of Kells - Scanned from Treasures of Irish Art.

11 July, 2016 - 00:49 Riley Winters

The Golden Age of the Christian Picts: Evidence for Religious Production at Portmahomack

Situated on the edge of the Tarbat peninsula on the northeastern coast of Scotland, Portmahomack carries a legacy of a long buried Golden Age of religious industry that was devastatingly altered by...

8 July, 2016 - 03:47 Riley Winters

Formidability in the Face of Factions: The Significance of Dunollie Fort - Part 2

(Read Part I) As mentioned in Part 1, the Dál Riatan fort of Dunollie has been an archaeological headache for some scholars, as its remains lie beneath a castle built by the MacDougall clan in the...