Sylvia Rose
Mahaleb Cherry: Spice, Nature & Myth
Mahaleb cherry (Prunus mahaleb) or St. Lucie cherry is a species of fruit tree cultivated for a spice in the cherry stones. The fruit...
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Sylvia Rose
Apr 187 min read
Nimrod: Lord of Chaos & Creation
Nimrod is a legendary Mesopotamian king in the early Bronze Age. A controversial figure, Nimrod has a savage nature and civilized mind,...
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Sylvia Rose
Apr 137 min read
Amazons - Warrior Women History & Myth
Amazons are warrior women first attested in the Bronze Age. They participate in the legendary Trojan War and colonize regions of the...
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Sylvia Rose
Apr 126 min read
Stymphalian Birds & Greek Heroics
The Stymphalian birds are vicious flesh-eating birds in Greek mythology. They're believed to originate from the swamps of Stymphalia in...
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Sylvia Rose
Apr 96 min read
Alp or Alps: Elves & Alpine Mountains
In German Alp can refer to an Elf or a mountain. An antiquated term, Alp for Elf drops out of common vocabulary in the Middle Ages and...
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Sylvia Rose
Apr 74 min read
Fänggen (Fangga): Man-Eaters of Tyrol
Fänggen are fearsome female tree spirits who dwell in the alpine forests of Tyrol, Austria, between Germany and Italy. Giants as big as...
33 views
Sylvia Rose
Apr 24 min read
Klagefrau: Wailing Woman of German Folklore
Klagfrau or Klagefrau is the Wailing Woman of German folklore. To hear her is an omen of death or disaster. She goes by many names but...
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Sylvia Rose
Apr 24 min read
Klabautermann - Germanic Sea Kobold
Klabautermann is a water kobold of the Baltic and North Seas. He's one of the noisy spirits, who can scream like the wind. In general he...
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Sylvia Rose
Mar 236 min read
Yarrow (Achillea) Magic & Medicine
Yarrow is an herb of magic and medicine. A flowering plant native to the northern hemisphere yarrow (Achillea millefolium) is commonly...
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Sylvia Rose
Mar 186 min read
Witches & Witchcraft: Ancient World
Witches work with occult or supernatural energies. In legend, witches are malevolent in nature. They can access realms of the Undead and...
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Sylvia Rose
Feb 47 min read
Khet, the Body: Death Rites of Ancient Egypt
Khet represents the physical body and is considered part of the soul in ancient Egypt. The soul is made of eight parts. Together they...
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Sylvia Rose
Jan 83 min read
Potnia: Mystery Goddess of Ancient Greece
Found as far back as the early Proto-Indo-European language c 4500 - 2500 BCE, the name Potnia has been interpreted as a Goddess, a group...
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Sylvia Rose
Jan 74 min read
Dragons: German Harvest & Nature Spirits
The mystic Dragon is among the plentiful Harvest Spirits, nature spirits and legendary creatures in Germany. Appearing in various shapes...
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Sylvia Rose
Jan 13 min read
Apkallu - Seven Sages of Mesopotamia
When the gods come into being in Mesopotamia, they create the Igigi to act as their servants because they find work too exhausting. As...
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Sylvia Rose
Dec 31, 20234 min read
Ishum: Night Watchman & Fire God
The God Ishum is the sukkal or divine attendant of Nergal, Lord of the Underworld, death and disease. Like many deified sukkals, Ishum...
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Sylvia Rose
Dec 29, 20233 min read
Scorpion Men of Babylonia
Scorpion men (Akkadian: girtablullû, aqrabuamelu) make an appearance in various Akkadian language myths. They include the Enûma Elish...
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Sylvia Rose
Dec 21, 20234 min read
Gibil - Fire God of Mesopotamia
Gibil, also called Girra in Akkadian, is the Mesopotamian Fire God. He's associated with both the positive, nurturing, benevolent aspect...
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Sylvia Rose
Dec 19, 20235 min read
Cinnamon - Spice Trade of Ancients
Cinnamon ( Cinnamomum ) is the oldest known spice in the world. The fragrant bark comes into popular use by c. 2000 BCE, when Egyptians...
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Sylvia Rose
Dec 19, 20235 min read
Dumuzi & Geshtinanna: Reasons for Seasons
Dumuzi (Dumu-zid, Dumuzid) and Geshtinanna are brother and sister deities in ancient Mesopotamia (today's Iraq). Dumuzi, a god of...
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Sylvia Rose
Dec 15, 20233 min read
Carnelian - Sunny Gems of the Ancient World
Carnelian (early: cornelean ) is already used in the Stone Age to make beads. Pebbles of the reddish orange gemstone might be polished by...
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