Our yule logs have been burned, the Winter Solstice is passed, and we find ourselves, as Dr. Who once said, “Halfway out of the darkness.” And while January is “The Gate of the New Year,” and a time for setting fresh resolutions, this, winter’s second month, is literally and figuratively us … coming of the dark.
Continue reading “COMING OUT OF THE DARK”Category: History
5 ‘NOT SO MERRY’ CHRISTMAS MYTHS
Most of us have heard of, or are at least somewhat familiar with, the story of Santa Claus.
Popular in the US, Old Saint Nick is a jolly, red-suited fellow who’s belly shakes like a bowl full of jelly when he laughs, and on Christmas Eve night, flies around in a sleigh pulled by magic reindeer, eating cookies and delivering gifts to the children of the world. For the children on his naughty list, however, nothing in their stockings but fat lumps of coal.
For all the gift giving and magic flying, there are darker sides to this popular holiday figure.
In some parts of the world, dark creatures come out in the winter—some hungry, some mischievous—and some ‘not so merry’ myths that give new meaning to the word ‘sleigh’ …
Continue reading “5 ‘NOT SO MERRY’ CHRISTMAS MYTHS”History: Iron Age Warrior Queen
To the Romans she was a barbarian. To the British, a heroine.
Continue reading “History: Iron Age Warrior Queen”The Woman King: a film based on Dahomey’s Women Warriors
From History to Fantasy
Powerful women have dotted the pages of our history books since humans began chiseling symbols into rocks. These ladies have stirred our imaginations and inspired our ire as tragic heroes and vile villains, with stories of their own to tell…
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