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Sylvia Rose
May 22, 20247 min read
Dnieper (Dnipro) River: Early Humans
Dnieper (Dnipro) River is one of most important waterways of ancient European trade and travel. Since the early Stone Age, from the sedge...
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Sylvia Rose
May 16, 20247 min read
Aetsi: Boars, Snakes & Baltic Amber
The Aesti (Aestii, Astui, Aests) appear at a time when European cultures mingle, and trade routes connect north to south. Neither Germans...
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Sylvia Rose
May 16, 20246 min read
Vistula Lagoon Baltic Nature & History
The Vistula Lagoon (Zalew Wiślany) is a brackish water lagoon on the Baltic Sea 90 km (56 mi) long, 10 to 19 km (6 to 15 mi) wide, and up...
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Sylvia Rose
May 14, 20245 min read
Neman River - Nature, History, Lore
Neman River is the primary feed into the Curonian Lagoon at the Baltic Sea. It's the main reason the sea lagoon is freshwater. The...
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Sylvia Rose
May 13, 20245 min read
Laima - Baltic Fate Goddess
Laima is a Baltic goddess of fate. Often part of a goddess triad, she relates to childbirth, marriage and destiny. She's patron of...
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Sylvia Rose
May 13, 20245 min read
Curonian Freshwater Baltic Sea Lagoon
Curonian Lagoon is a freshwater body beside the Baltic Sea at western Lithuania, separated from the sea by the narrow Curonian Spit....
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Sylvia Rose
May 12, 20245 min read
Žaltys: Sacred Snake & Serpent Queen
In Baltic mythology, the grass snake žaltys (Natrix natrix) is a sacred animal. It's invited into the home and kept as a pet and house...
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Sylvia Rose
May 11, 20245 min read
European Grass Snake: Nature & Lore
Snakes have mystic associations since the beginning of human thought. The European Grass Snake (Natrix natrix) is a small, harmless...
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Sylvia Rose
May 6, 20244 min read
Slavic River Spirits & Roman Gods
Viadrus is the name of the Roman god of the Oder (Odra) River, and of the river itself. The god gazes north toward the Baltic Sea,...
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Sylvia Rose
May 6, 20243 min read
Are Cormorants Stymphalian Birds?
In Greek myth, the Stymphalian birds appear in tales of Heracles and in the Argonautica, the adventures of Jason and the Argonauts. The...
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Sylvia Rose
May 5, 20245 min read
Casting the Bones - Astragalomancy
Astragalomancy is divination using astragali or ankle bones (talus) of animals as dice. Bones of sheep and goats are popular in the near...
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Sylvia Rose
May 4, 20245 min read
Opium Poppy (Papaver somnifum)
Opium poppy (Papaver somnifum) is the common source of opium and derivatives such as morphine or heroin. All poppies produce the narcotic...
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Sylvia Rose
May 3, 20244 min read
Reishi or Lingzhi - Mushroom Magic
Reishi or lingzhi (Ganoderma sichuanense, G. lingzhi) is a shining red fungal fruiting body in shades from orange to deep maroon. The...
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Sylvia Rose
May 3, 20245 min read
Oder River: Nature & Early People
The Oder (Odra) River originates in Czechia and flows through several countries before reaching the Baltic Sea. Part of the Amber Roads,...
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Sylvia Rose
May 2, 20242 min read
Sacred Cave Trapeza (Kronion), Crete
The Sacred Cave Trapeza (Kronion) is a Neolithic and Bronze Age ritual site on the island of Crete in Greece. During the Minoan era it's...
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Sylvia Rose
May 1, 20244 min read
Is Cherry Laurel Poisonous?
Cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus) is an Old World evergreen species of the cherry family. Often mistaken for edible bay laurel, Prunus...
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Sylvia Rose
Apr 29, 20248 min read
Honey Bees (Apidae): Nature & Myth
Honey bees create honey, beeswax and folklore. First domestication of the honeybee is c. 8000 BCE, in the Neolithic Age. At this time...
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Sylvia Rose
Apr 29, 20244 min read
Honey Mead: Most Ancient Ambrosia
Honey mead is likened to ambrosia , nectar of the Greek Gods, with qualities of immortality and divine transcendence, beloved by bears...
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Sylvia Rose
Apr 28, 20243 min read
Grayanotoxins: the Madness of Honey
Grayanotoxins are neurotoxins. They're active ingredients in mad honey, produced by bees harvesting pollen and nectar of plants carrying...
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Sylvia Rose
Apr 28, 20244 min read
Rhododendron & the Toxic Ambrosia
Rhododendron is a plant genus of the heather family. With bright showy flowers, this glamorous perennial is known for its medicinal...
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