Vikings have captured imaginations for centuries. Irish monks trembled at their sight, Early Russians fought them for Baltic water rights, and Byzantine Emperors hired their descendants as bodyguards. While much has been written about them from various contemporary and more recent sources, the Vikings themselves left few initial records. As …
Blanche Monnier, or the la Séquestrée de Poitiers (“The Confined Woman of Potiers”), was a French woman trapped in a tiny room for a quarter of a century by her socialite mother. Few stories scandalized French society in the early twentieth century as much as Blanche Monnier, and rightfully so. How could …
Read MoreBlanche Monnier: The French Aristocrat Held Captive for 25 Years
The character Shrek voiced by Mike Myers, is one of the most iconic animated characters of the last century. For years many have believed that a real-life man, Maurice Tillet, inspired the green ogre. Dreamworks has neither confirmed nor denied this, but the similarities are uncanny. The Early Life of …
Read MoreThe Life of Maurice Tillet, The Man Who May Have Inspired Shrek
The legendary Baba Yaga is an ambiguous creature. She is an anomaly, popularly described as a mother-nature figure and an evil creature who seeks to devour adventurers who fail the tasks she gives them. Much like her unclear purpose, the meaning of her name is contested: it is widely believed …
Read MoreThe Mystery of Baba Yaga, the Slavic Witch With Unclear Intentions
When growing up, there are certain stories children are told. These stories are typically whimsical, often magical, and sometimes, even spooky – however, almost all of the time, these stories convey a moral lesson that could prove to be useful in later life, ending on an educational but heartwarming note. …
At the 90th Academy Awards, Black Panther’s cast stunned the world with their stylish looks. Lupita Nyong’O’s hair, in particular, was the talk of the town. Hairstylist Vernon François styled her hair into three braided crescents wrapping around her head with gold thread woven in. Though it felt unique to many, the …
Read MoreThe Amasunzu Hairstyle: A Traditional Rwandan Haircut
Manorialism, or the Manor System, was a key component of Feudalism in Western Europe in the Medieval Era. Sometimes known as the Middle Ages, this period lasted from shortly after the end of the Roman Empire in the 5th century CE and the Renaissance in the late 15th century. In …
Read MoreManorialism: What is It, How Does It Work, and How Did it End?
Prior to World War One, Germany was a prosperous nation. In the decades since its unification, it had become an industrial powerhouse leading Europe in fields like chemicals, machinery, and optics. Its gold-backed currency traded at comparable rates to the British shilling, Italian lira, and French Franc (about 4-5:1 against …
Read MoreGerman Hyperinflation Made A Loaf of Bread Cost 200 Billion Marks in 1923
Everybody poops. This is one of humanity’s truths, such that we tend not to think about it too much unless the person in question has a low fiber diet. Though people have been experiencing normal biological functions since before the dawn of civilization, a way to remove that waste healthily …
It ain’t easy being the king….queen… or even president? The point is, it’s hard to be at the top. History is chock-full of murdered monarchs, unlucky emperors, and deposed queens. Can you imagine waiting and preparing your entire life for this position, only to have it ripped away in a …
