The Seraphim were terrifying Biblical monsters, even if contemporary Christianity imagines them as more benign angelic creatures. They appear in the Hebrew Bible (Christian Old Testament) in several places, and although English translations of the Hebrew “Seraphim” (singular “Seraph”) often appear only in the vision of the prophet Isaiah, in fact they are mentioned elsewhere
Seraphim in the Bible Read More »
As per my usual holiday tradition, I wrote an historically themed Christmas carol! This one is to the tune of “I Saw Three Ships”, and it’s called “I saw three hominids”. I had been lacking a tune about prehistory! I saw three hominids come inNeanderthal, Den’snovianGenus Homo all are kinHurray for evolution I spoke with
“I Saw Three Hominids” Historical Christmas Carol Read More »
One of the more bizarre expressions of Christianity comes from the Early Medieval Carolingian world. It is a poem we call “The Heiland,” probably written in the courts of Louis the Pious or Louis the German in the 800s to an Old Saxon-speaking audience. The Heiland is an epic poem (much longer than _Beowulf_) telling
The Heiland, a Medieval Germanic Rendition of the Gospels Read More »
Here you see an album cover of musician and comedian “Speckled Red,” whose hit song “The Dirty Dozens” put samples of “the Dozens” to music, with a notable version published in 1929. But the tradition of the Dozens game goes back much further, echoing insult games that developed in western African countries like Ghana, and
McAfee Knob is one of the most iconic vistas along the Appalachian Trail. Its elevation is only about 3,200 feet, which is typical for these ancient, weathered mountains. The stunning views provided by the overlook include the Roanoke Valley below and North Mountain. Only 100 years earlier, a lot of the land had been cleared
Tinker Cliffs are the third “Crown Jewel” of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains (along with Dragon’s Tooth and McAfee Knob). The Appalachian Trail cuts closer to the edge than the other two sites, affording breathtaking views and prompting careful attention to the narrow path. For about half a mile, the stones surface prominently from the forest
A new article from the science journal _Nature_ throws another wrench in the mystery about the origins of the greatest pandemic in history, the Black Death. Here you see the Chüy Valley in modern Kyrgyzstan and one of the tombstones involved in the recent study. Dating to 1338, and written in Syriac, the stone’s translation
One of the joys about cutting-edge studies that merge scientific data with the discipline of history is the chance to answer questions that we never thought we’d be able to. This photo of Greenland’s ice sheet gets at the way that climate scientists are trying to understand one of the most transformative aspects of earth
Younger Dryas Cold Snap Read More »
This reconstruction of a Swedish woman from 7,000 years ago (using DNA as well as bone and archaeological burial remains) tells us she died when she was between 30-40 years old. Despite this relatively young age by modern standards, it is likely the female members of her community were healthier than many of her global
In the United States today, we are celebrating a relatively new federal holiday: Juneteenth. Meant to mark the emancipation of US slaves, Juneteenth celebrations extend on the state level back to 1865, when the Union formally ended slavery in Texas — from there, other states with communities of African Americans began to acknowledge the day.
Juneteenth and the Mascogos Read More »
Oft I have I featured in these posts fabulous animals that Medieval people thought existed, but never actually did. The Bonnacon is yet another example, and boy oh boy it’s a doozy. Here — and in the following two images — you see illuminated paintings of various Bonnacons that appear in Medieval Bestiaries, writings that
This is a photo of The Cave of Hands in Argentina, which is about 10,000 years old. The crowding of the hands is reflective of the way that humans for a long time have formed large communities. What is fascinating is that many anthropologists think they know just how large these average societies were. And
The Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail is a 70 mile stretch of forested lands begining in Ohiopyle and heading generally northeast almost to Johnstown. Begun in the 1970’s, it is an example of the invaluable natural patrimony of the state of Pennsylvania.
Would you like some Typhoid with your omelette? The illustration of “Typhoid” Mary Mallon, throwing skulls like eggs into a frying pan, conveys the sentiments about her that many Americans felt in the early 20th century. She looked matronly and healthy, but was responsible for spreading the deadly disease to about 50 people, resulting in
Here you see a modern artist’s rendition of a mythical Malaysian evil tiger spirit called “hantu belian,” which the Malay peoples believed would possess a person’s body and make them commit great violence while they were unconsious. This belief in hantu belian’s destructive powers was pervasive enough that they formed the origin story of the
Hantu Belian and Running Amok Read More »
This statue of a worshipping man is from the third millennium BCE is from Ancient Sumeria, and I like the way his lips are pursed, almost like he has a half-smile. Judging his age by the long beard, I think his IRL corresponding figures would have had good reason to smile: they, unlike most other
If I had more time, I would read original treatises in mathematics. The reason is because — when I do get a chance to go over such writings — it is so much clearer to me that math isn’t just a bunch of static pronouncements that everyone agrees about, but a conversation built on emergent
Bhāskara II and the Pythagorean Theorem Read More »
I have a new historical figure that I want to invite to my imaginary dinner party with fascinating but dead people I wish I could talk to. And that’s this guy, Karl Pearson. A British Germanophile who lived from 1857-1936, Karl was a quirky, free-thinking mathematical giant in the field of statistics. He had a
The association of a snake and a woman in peril bring to mind many images in today’s world — the story of the serpent tempting Eve, the snake as representative of the “don’t tread on me” anti- government control in the United States, and of course the bodily autonomy of women in peril with the
France and Her Deadly Foe Read More »
The Catholic Church had a tremendous influence in Medieval society. This did not mean that folks didn’t write about sex, however. These two figures from a 14th-century manuscript show a monk and a nun canoodling with each other. They weren’t supposed to be doing that, btw. The writings about sex undertaken by Constantinus Africanus (died
Medieval Studies on Sex Read More »
