Of Historical Interest

Posted on July 22, 2011 by admin

  • Queen Victoria eased menstrual cramps by smoking marijuana.
  • The American Civil War resulted in over 400,000 morphine addicts.
  • Sometimes a glass of water cost $100 during the 1849 Gold Rush.
  • Peter the Great and Alexander the Great suffered from epilepsy.
  • The first Eskimo Bible was printed in 1774.
  • In ancient China marijuana was used to remedy dysentery.
  • The first paperback book was printed in 1935.
  • New York City was the U.S. capital from 1789 to 1790.
  • Red tulips were a declaration of love in the Victorian era.
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Bizarre Ritual in Spain

Posted on July 21, 2011 by admin

A man wearing a demonic mask stokes a bonfire during carnival celebrations in Zubieta February 1, 2011. People from the north Navarran village and neighbouring Ituren dressed up in bizarre and terrifying costumes created mayhem and maximum noise levels to symbolically awaken the earth for the oncoming spring.

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The Philosopher’s Stone

Posted on July 21, 2011 by admin

Philosopher’s stone as pictured in Michael Maier’s Atalanta Fugiens Emblem 21.

According to legend the Philosopher’s Stone is a tool in alchemy capable of turning base metals into gold and is believed to be the elixir of life promising health and immortality.  Legend states that the thirteenth century Saint Albertus Mangus had discovered the tool and passed it on to Saint Thomas Aquinas.  The 17th century alchemy textbook Mutus Liber (Silent Book) by Isaac Baulot supposedly gives the instructions on how to create the Philosopher’s Stone, however it is outlined in a series of 15 mystical illustrations (called plates) which have yet to be accurately translated.

 

See: McLean, Adam. A Commentary on the Mutus Liber (Hermetic Research Series). Grand Rapids, Michigan: Phanes Press, 1991.

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The Capgras Delusion

Posted on July 20, 2011 by admin

Capgras delusion is a disorder in which an individual believes that a friend or family member has been replaced by an identical imposter.  It is most commonly found in persons suffering from schizophrenia, but can also be found in those suffering from dementia.  The delusion is named after Joseph Capgras, a French doctor who first described the experiences of one of his patients, a woman in 1923 who believed that her family members were replaced by other people.

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The Georgia Guidestones: A New World Order?

Posted on July 20, 2011 by admin

The guidestones (Image source).

The Georgia Guidestones is a large monument in Elbert County, Georgia (USA), comprising of six granite slabs six meters high and weighing over 100 tons. Who commissioned and built the guidestones remains a mystery, though some have alleged it was Ted Turner.

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Soviet Union’s Domain Name in 1991: .SU

Posted on July 20, 2011 by admin

In September of 1990 the Soviet Union was assigned a country code top-level domain name of .su, standing for the “Soviet Union.”  Though the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991the domain name still remains in use and since 2001 has been available for purchase.

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Bizarre Nature: Sailing Stones

Posted on July 20, 2011 by admin

Sailing stones, or moving rocks, is an unexplained natural phenomenon of rocks moving in long tracks across a surface, typically in a desert, without any assistance from humans or animals.   To date nobody has seen the rocks actually move therefore nobody knows at what speeds they are moving, people only notice the tracks that are left behind.  These tracks are often puzzling and non-linear.  Sometimes the tracks suggest a rock was at one point moving north for a period of time with a sharp 90 degree shift to the east or south at a certain period.

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Diet of the Middle Ages

Posted on May 4, 2011 by admin

The Well-Stocked Kitchen, and Jesus in the house of Martha and Mary in the background by Joachim Bueckelaer, 1566. Rilksmuseum.

During the Middle Ages the majority of European peasantry lived on a very home-grown diet, or what today might be called a “whole foods” diet. For most people of the lower classes, meals consisted of rye or barely bead, some type of stew, dairy products such as cheese and milk, and meat such as beef or pork. Most meals were vegetarian, and consisted of fresh vegetables. If peasants lived near a stream or lake, they fished. Peasants also harvested berries and nuts in the forests.

See: Henisch, Bridget Ann. The Medieval Cook. Rochester, NY: Boydell Press, 2009.

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Manhattanhedge!

Posted on May 1, 2011 by admin

“Manhattanhenge” refers to an occurrence where the setting sun aligns with the main east and west streets of Manhattan. The term is derived from Stonehenge. The biannual occurrence usually takes place on May 28 and July 12 or 13.

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Oldest Lake in the World

Posted on May 1, 2011 by admin

Lake Baikal in Russia is the deepest fresh water lake in the world with a length of 395 miles, a width of 49 miles, and a maximum depth of 5,390 feet.  It is the oldest lake in the world, over 25 million years old, and is the home to more than 1,700 species of plants and animals.  It is a declared UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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