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Sylvia Rose
Apr 8, 20246 min read
Sträggele: Witch Hag of the Wild Hunt
Sträggele is the wife of the Dread Huntsman, der Türst of Lucerne canton in Switzerland. In Lucerne the huntsman, Sträggele and their...
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Sylvia Rose
Mar 15, 20247 min read
Verdigris: Coveted Blue Green Copper Pigment
Verdigris is the green rust or patina on copper, created as the metal reacts with oxygen in the environment. Copper corrodes green to...
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Sylvia Rose
Mar 1, 20244 min read
Woad, the People's Blue: Ancient Pigments
Woad ( Isatis tinctoria ) is a plant yielding a blue pigment used in dyes, paint and medicine. A member of the mustard family, it's also...
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 26, 20233 min read
Phosphorus: Element of Fatal Fascination
Phosphorus is the first element not known since ancient times. This glowing substance is discovered by German alchemist Hennig Brand in...
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 25, 20232 min read
What is the Philosopher's Stone?
The Philosopher's Stone (Latin: lapis philosophorum ) conjures elements of primal lore and eternal powers. In history and legend, the...
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 21, 20235 min read
Arsenic: Murderous Metal & Miracle Cure
Arsenic (As) has been called the King of Poisons and the Poison of Kings. This silvery metalloid appears abundantly in the Earth and...
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 18, 202310 min read
Alchemy: Science, Philosophy, Magic
Alchemy rises from inquiring minds . Golden Ages of alchemy appear in Greco-Roman Alexandria , medieval Islam and the Renaissance ....
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 13, 20236 min read
Seven Metals of Antiquity - Metallurgy
The Metals of Antiquity are the seven metals identified and used by humans in Europe and the Middle East in prehistoric times. They are...
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 13, 20233 min read
Gnomes: Earth Spirits of Renaissance Mythology
Beloved in gardens, gnomes bring blessings of Earth. Thought to dwell in underground tunnels, caverns, soil and rocks, chthonic gnomes...
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 11, 20233 min read
Der Türst: Dread Huntsman & the Wild Hunt
From the southern Germanic lands, past the Swiss border come tales of der Türst, the dreadful huntsman who rides like a demon through...
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Sylvia Rose
Aug 31, 20234 min read
Sugar Beets, Altbier & First Newspaper
Sugar from sugar beets, Altbier or Old Beer from the Rhineland and world's first newspaper are among the German inventions. Today, sugar...
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Sylvia Rose
Jun 22, 20232 min read
Aufhöcker - Cursed Undead of German Myth
When traveling through realms of German mythology and folklore, it's wise to avoid these deadly hitchhikers. The Aufhocker (pl...
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