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The pentagram or Drudenfuß (Drude's Foot) is a protective sign or talisman with the power to repel malevolent magic associated with supernatural beings, evil witches and elves. The pentagram first appears in ancient Mesopotamia. See also: Periwinkle: Magic & Medicine of Europe Night Raven (Nachtkrapp) Germania Fire Men & Lights Errant: German Lore Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The pentacle is the star including a circle, a symbol often used in nature religion. The pentagram is the star alone. Terms are often used interchangeably. The pentagram is found carved in wood doorways, window frames, entrance stones and charms of protection. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction German Mythology Adventure Series Pentagram symbols from c. 2800 BCE appear in the Liangzhu culture of China. In Chinese lore the five point star represents the five elements: wood, fire, earth, metal, water. The elements interrelate in eternal flow of energy depicted by the circle and star. See also: Immortal - Quest for the Elixir of Life Jade - Jadeite, Nephrite & Jade Roads Schrat: German Nightmare Forest Elf Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle To ancient Egyptians and Greeks, the five point star is commonly associated with magic and the occult. It's interpreted variously as the five senses, five elements, including spirit, in neopagan religions. The pentagram is the human body with arms and legs outstretched. In Greek Neoplatonism, the pentagram is a symbol or sign of recognition by Pythagoreans. Early Greeks call the pentagram hugieia, meaning "health". From c. 300 -150 BCE the pentagram is the symbol of Jerusalem, marked by 5 Hebrew letters ירשלם of its name. See also: Baal Cycle - Myths of Ba'al Hadad Lucifer, Venus & Anti-Gods of Mythology Ib the Heart: Book of the Dead Egypt Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The way the pentagram points has meaning for some. Interwoven pentagrams can be either right or left-sided. The pentagram has no specific top or bottom, part of its infinity magic. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Nonetheless the human desire to classify and ascribe meaning prevails. Through the ages the orientation and descriptions of pentagrams are subjects of debate. See also: Ephedra - Oldest Medical Stimulant Herb Dragons: German Harvest & Nature Spirits Baal (Ba'al): Storm God & Love Demon Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books "A reversed pentagram, with two points projecting upwards, is a symbol of evil and attracts sinister forces because it overturns the proper order of things and demonstrates the triumph of matter over spirit. It is the goat of lust attacking the heavens with its horns, a sign execrated by initiates." Lévi, Éliphas (1999) [1896 (translated), 1854 (first published)]. Transcendental Magic, its Doctrine and Ritual See also: Goats in German Myth: Erntebock & Habergeiß Enuma Elish: Marduk & the Chaos Monsters Rise of Pan: Fertility Goat God Péh₂usōn Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle "The flaming star, which, when turned upside down, is the heirolgyphic [sic] sign of the goat of black magic, whose head may be drawn in the star, the two horns at the top, the ears to the right and left, the beard at the bottom. It is a sign of antagonism and fatality. It is the goat of lust attacking the heavens with its horns." Lévi, Éliphas (2002) [1939 (translated), 1859 (first published)]. The Key of the Mysteries See also: Shams - Ancient Arabian Sun Goddess Jet Black - Ancient World Gemstones Elderberry Tree: Germanic Nature Lore Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books "Let us keep the figure of the Five-pointed Star always upright, with the topmost triangle pointing to heaven, for it is the seat of wisdom, and if the figure is reversed, perversion and evil will be the result." Hartmann, Franz (1895) [1886]. Magic, White and Black (5th ed.). New York: The Path. READ: Reiker For Hire - Victorian Detective Murder Mysteries Used in early Christian iconography, the downward pointing pentagram is meant to signify the power of God flowing from the heavens. Today the downward pointing pentagram is often associated with the worship of Satan, the prime anti-God. See also: German Myth & Folklore: Elves German Myth: Lindwyrm, Mare & Pig Demons Ancient Egypt Remedies: Ebers Papyrus Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Satanism gains popularity during the Middle Ages, not by practice but by accusation. Witches and all else considered evil are henchpersons of the Devil. Thus emerge countless tomes about Satan and his demons. Demons are big business. Artists depict them, directories list them and vendors of protective charms, potions, herbs, incense, carvings and amulets find eager markets. Grimoires of the Middle Ages popularize and organize their demons as witch hunts rage through the lands. See also: Drude: Germanic Demon of Darkness Lora Ley - Book 4 - Poltergeist Wiedergänger - the Undead Walk Again Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The interlaced pentagram represents weaving, a skill associated with witchcraft as in 'weaving a spell'. It also connects with concepts of strength, power and infinity. Like the circle the standard or interwoven pentagrams have no beginning and no end. The pentagram symbol can also refer to the dimensional layers of spirituality and perception and relates to illusion, shadows and light, hidden knowledge. The symbol connects the human with the cosmic levels of existence. It makes the unseen visible. See also: Ram God of Egypt Ba-neb-djedet Germanic Mythology - Brook Horses Kamrushepa: Hittite Goddess of Magic Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle In German folklore the pentagram is often called Drudenfuss (Drude's foot) or Alpfuss (Elf's foot). The Drude is a nightmare-bringing demon with soul-sucking powers. During the height of the witch hunts the word Drude becomes equated with witch. In Germany, Hexennacht is the night the witches fly to the Brocken to revel with the Devil. In the early Middle Ages it becomes known as Walpurgisnacht after a Christian martyr who's said to have powers against witchcraft. See also: Witches' Night - Hexennacht Women of the Wild Hunt: Holle, Diana, Frigg Women of Alchemy - Mary the Jewess Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The Drudenfuss (Drudenfuß) is thought to protect from harmful magic including that of Druden, elves, vague definitions of witchcraft and the evil eye. As an Old World symbol, the pentagram is brought to the Americas by immigrant Europeans. See also: Jet Black - Ancient World Gemstones Hesperus (Vesper) the Evening Star Witches & Witchcraft: Ancient World Back to Top

To understand the mindset of 19th century Victorian Germany, it's good to have a little background history. Backtrack to 1806, when the Holy Roman Empire dissolves into the Confederation of the Rhine under Napoleon Bonaparte. READ - Reiker For Hire - Victorian Detective Murder Mysteries See also: The Anxious Victorian - Mental Health Klagefrau: Wailing Woman of German Folklore Fire Men & Lights Errant: German Lore Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books To increase control over the German states and completely destroy the Holy Roman Empire, Napoleon implements the Confederation of the Rhine. He unites sixteen formerly independent states as allies of the French, and forces HRE Emperor Francis II to abdicate. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Members of the Confederation of the Rhine include the southern powers Württemberg and Bavaria. Before long, Saxony, Westphalia and other German states follow. See also: German Herbology - Edelweiss Off to the Black Forest we go! Nature Spirits of German Mythology Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle The defeat of Napoleon on 18 June 1815 by strategic use of Prussian forces gives rise to the Constitution of the German Confederation or German Federal Act (German: Deutsche Bundesakte). The Congress of Vienna establishes the German Confederation in 1815. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventure The 39 members of the German Confederation emerge from the previous 360 states of the Holy Roman Empire (HRE). Centered in Vienna, the Confederation grants presidency to Austrian Emperor Francis I, who was Francis II of the now-defunct HRE. See also: German Folklore - Irrwurz or Mad Root Pioneering German Women - Bertha Benz Spa Life & Murder in 1890s Germany Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Among the most powerful members of the Confederation are the Kingdom of Prussia and the Austrian Empire. Others include Bavaria, Holstein and the Grand Duchy of Hesse. Also in the early 1800s, the Grimm Brothers collect their compilation of folk tales (fairy tales). In 1835, the German Confederation gets a locomotive. Called the Adler (Eng. Eagle), it's the first working steam locomotive used in Germany. Imported from England, the Adler is in service 22 years, hauling trains on the Ludwig Railway between Nuremberg and Fürth. See also: Steam & Style - Agrippina of the Rhine The Strange Case of Rudolf Diesel 19th Century: Home Gym, Bicycles, Antiseptic Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In art, a flood of Romanticism inundates the German-speaking countries at the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th century. Romantic styles in painting, poetry, music and ideas ebb and flow through 1800s. The Lorelei myth (Heinrich Heine) first appears in 1824. Artists such as Caspar David Friedrich (1774 - 1840) emerge in the early part of the century, followed by such luminaries as epic opera composer Richard Wagner (1813 - 1883) in later years. Prevalent attitudes turn to mythology, folktales, nature and the fantastic imagination. See also: Song of the Loreley - Lethal Beauty 3 Great German Artists for Art Lovers Periwinkle: Magic & Medicine of Europe Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books With increase of the pace of life, nervous conditions arise. A new school of study is born. In 1825 scientists identify a growing anxiety disorder, neurasthenia. READ - Reiker For Hire - Victorian Detective Murder Mysteries Revolutionary concepts like nature-based healing, water therapy and mineral spring health spas are on the horizon. The word spa is a Latin acronym meaning 'health by water' or sanus per aquam. See also: Klabautermann - Germanic Sea Kobold Curse of the Evil Eye & Apotropaic Magic Great Women Artists - Käthe Kollwitz Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Bicycles evolve through the 1800s to become a transportation favorite. Women have more mobility, contributing to the strength of women's rights movements. A major legal victory comes in 1887, when women are allowed to own property or money after marriage. In 1856 the University of Heidelberg gives its first psychology degree, to Wilhelm Wundt (1832 - 1920), the founder of experimental psychology. The 1800s makes strong inroads into fields of mental health, especially toward at the end of the century. See also: German Myth & Folklore: Imps Pretty Poisons: Holly, Yew, Mistletoe German Vampires - Nachzehrer Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle In 1838, Queen Victoria takes the throne of Britain. A woman of German heritage, all eyes are upon her. She comes to influence much of Europe, from stripes in fashion to elaborate Victorian mourning rituals after the death of her husband Albert in 1861 of typhoid. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventure In the first half of the century people are already swarming to cities to work in mass production. There are jobs for everyone regardless of gender and age. Many people come from small family farms. See also: Reiker For Hire, Victorian Era & Nixies Nature Spirits of German Mythology Chamomile - Herbology & Folklore Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Now steam is Queen of the Machines. Because factory machines run day and night, people are expected to fulfill the same criteria. On March 9, 1839 Prussia passes a law regulating practice of child labor in industry. The law forbids factory employment of children younger than nine. It also limits the work of youths under sixteen to ten hours a day. Night and Sunday shifts for children are outlawed. It's the first regulation of its kind in Europe. It's not known how well the law is upheld. See also: Sugar Beets, Altbier & First Newspaper Schrat: German Nightmare Forest Elf Yarrow (Achillea) Magic & Medicine Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In Germany children are spared the deadly jobs of cleaning chimneys. Sweepers are part of a guild disallowing use of children as chimney sweeps or "climbing boys". Scotland has similar policies. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure In 1848 Germany is among several nations suffering violent rebellions and unrest. The people want to dissolve monarchies and return to city-states. The conflicts erupt in over fifty European countries, without significant coordination or cooperation among revolutionaries. See also: Industry & the Age of Monsters Elderberry Tree: Germanic Nature Lore Germanic Mythology - Brook Horses Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Also in 1848 German revolutionary socialist Karl Marx publishes The Communist Manifesto with Friedrich Engels. First released in London the text is created by Marx and Engels for a widespread audience. Marx and Engels put forth the historical materialist concept of human relationship to work and class struggle. They assert "the history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles". See also: Amazing Legacy of Alexander von Humboldt Hippomancy: Sacred Horse Divination Hünenburg: Bronze Age European Trade Hub Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle In Marx's model, social classes are defined by the relationship of people to the means of production. Published amid the Revolutions of 1848 in Europe, the Manifesto remains one of the world's most influential political documents. READ - Reiker For Hire - Victorian Detective Murder Mysteries As Marx points out in his theory of alienation the move to urban existence separates people from their work. People no longer own the means of production ... or even the places they live. Poverty-level wages go to rental units, food and survival. See also: Rosemary: Immortal Essence & Balm of Kings Bronze Age Europe - The Amber Roads Gold - Precious Metal of the Sun Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Work is a mechanical means to an end, not a vital and fulfilling part of life itself. A whole tradition of hating Mondays demonstrates the basis of the theory. "Owing to the extensive use of machinery and to division of labor, the work of the proletarians has lost all individual character, and consequently all charm for the workman." Karl Marx - Communist Manifesto 1848 See also: German Myth - Headless Horseman Wild Women and Winter Tales Victorian Crime - Murder in the Cards Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Major contributing factors to the 1848 rebellions include dissatisfaction with political leadership, demands for more participation in government and democracy, demands for freedom of the press, other demands made by the working class for economic rights. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure The European potato failure triggers mass starvation, migration, and civil unrest. Romantic nationalism surges through the lands. The rebellions last a year and prompt changes as nations respond, with freedom of serfs, workers' rights and more power to the people. See also: Sailing - Bronze Age Sails & Sailcloth Myth & Metallurgy - Metals of Antiquity Ephedra - Oldest Medical Stimulant Herb Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In 1850, Prussia finally stops trying to resist growing powers in Germany and accepts the German Confederation under Austrian leadership. Austria and Prussia remain rivals, leading to the Austro-Prussian War of 1866 under Otto von Bismarck (tenure: 1862 - 1890). In 1861 England, Queen Victoria's husband Albert succumbs to typhoid at the age of 42. Victoria loved him deeply. After his death she wears black for the rest of her life to show her grief. See also: Jet Black - Ancient World Gemstones Night Raven (Nachtkrapp) Germania Butzemann, Witches & Nyx - Scare 'em Good Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The romance of this gesture sends vibrations through Europe. Victoria may have borrowed the idea from Portuguese Empress Amélie of Leuchtenberg, who wears black for the rest of her life after her husband Pedro I of Brazil dies in 1834. Mourning becomes big business in Europe, giving rise to vast 'mourning warehouses' carrying everything from black dyes, curtains and furniture to jewelry of jet, a type of coal, which becomes the traditional gemstone of mourning. See also: Great 19th Century German Woman Artists Black Pigments of Ancient Artisans Prussian Blue - Delight of Artists & Poisoners Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle When German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck steps up in 1862 he already wields immense power. A shrewd strategist, he uses it to unify Germany and solidify its borders after three decisive border battles against Denmark, Austria and France. He's known for the motto "Blood and Iron," meaning the unity of the Germans is based is brought about through strength forged in iron and the the blood spilled through war. Wars he implements are the three initial border disputes. Germany also colonizes African lands. See also: Copper: Ruddy Metal of Myth & Magic Verdigris: Volatile Blue Green Pigment Queen Eleanor & the Calamitous Crusade Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The bronze medal above from 1890 shows a profile of Bismarck and a bit of verdigris. It reads Otto Fürst von Bismarck, Kanzler des Deutschen Reiches (Otto Prince von Bismarck, Chancellor of German Empire). 1890 is his final year in power. With the unification of the German Empire in 1870-1 a new industrial revolution swings into action. Bismarck maintains a home-first policy, focusing on domestic issues. Nonetheless, nationalist pressure prompts Germany to colonize more of Africa. See also: Neolithic Nubia & Early Egyptians Garnets - Gemstones of Blood and Life Herbs & Natural Remedies - Ancient Egypt Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books At the same time, as a Conservative, Bismarck works with the wave of socialist thought and the fight for individual rights. He implements worker's rights such as accident and work insurance, and social security. Germany becomes the first welfare state in history. Welfare is the provision of basic level well-being through subsidized social services such as health care, education, public housing, infrastructure and vocational training. The state takes responsibility for the welfare of its citizens. See also: Women of the Wild Hunt: Holle, Diana, Frigg Myrrh - Mystique, Death & Divinity Neolithic Europe - Danube Valley Culture Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Conflict with the Catholic Church erupts as Bismarck tries to stem rising religious fervor with a campaign known as Kulturkampf. He believes people should give allegiance to their country first, not to Rome. The Pope is not pleased, but cartoonists have fun. A Protestant, Bismarck challenges Catholic power in Germany in state affairs such as schooling and politics, as well as accompanying propaganda. When the Church passes legislation regarding "infallibility of the Pope" Bismarck is vocal in protest. See also: Einkorn Wheat - First Domestic Crops Drude: Germanic Demon of Darkness Giant Cinnamon Birds of Arabia Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Eventually the Kulturkampf subsides without much resolution as other affairs take precedence. In fields of health and medicine, Germany's first psychiatrist, Emil Kraepelin, receives his degree in 1886. His thesis of 1882, The Place of Psychology in Psychiatry, influences the treatment of mental health disorders. Doctors realize "hysteria", a condition of anxiety, pain and depression, is not attached to a woman's womb, and men are subject to similar emotions. See also: Wandering Womb - Ancient Medicine Alchemist Dippel: the Frankenstein Files Gramophone, Player Piano & Motion Pictures Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle During the 1800s interest also increases in the occult. The term is popularized by French esotericist Éliphas Lévi in 1850. In Germany, regular playing cards are typically used to divine the future. Crystal balls, tea readings and trances or hypnosis also tweak interest. Ouija boards are invented in America as popular drawing room entertainment in 1890. They aren't connected to the occult until the First World War when a medium uses one as a divining tool. Seances are not widespread until after World War II. See also: Lammašaga: Sumerian Angel Goddess Witches & Witchcraft: Ancient World Hags in German Myth & Folklore Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In 1888, Kaiser Wilhelm II takes the throne of the German Empire. He makes Bismarck resign in 1890, and leads the country through bursts of economic progress overwhelmed by self-indulgent chaos into the First World War. The German Empire comes to an end in 1918. See also: Der Türst: Dread Huntsman & the Wild Hunt Bizilla - Shining Love Goddess Sukkal Jimson Weed, Witches & Zombies Back to Top

The Black Sea coasts are occupied by Paleolithic people, later Bronze Age mountain raiders and a few centuries afterward, Ionian Greeks from Miletus. The sea is at first harrowing to seafarers, leading the Greeks to call it 'the inhospitable sea'. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure See also: Hematite: Magnetic Iron Oxide Red Ancient Grains: Wheat, Barley, Millet, Rice Ephedra - Oldest Medical Stimulant Herb Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books While history of prehistoric Black Sea trade, colonization and resources is sparse, more evidence continues to surface about early people who come to these shores. In Paleolithic and Neolithic times the coasts are rough and savage. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventure According to Ryan et al 1997, c. 7600 years ago a natural dam separates the Mediterranean from the Black Sea basin. The thin barrier breaks and salt water floods into the Black Sea. This causes major ecological change, death of species, and human migration. See also: Cult of the Bull - Prehistoric Aurochs Crocodilopolis - Sobek Crocodile God Amber Trade - Bronze Age on the Baltic Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle A new ecology forms and with it, evidence of humans. Flint is used for hand axes, hide scrapers, knives, arrow and spearheads. It fractures to a sharp edge. Use of flint to make tools dates back more than three million years and is an identifying feature of the Stone Age. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Signs of early people appear in the form of artifacts and lithics including the Stone Age flint scrapers below. The implements are found at Sinope, Ince Burun, on the south coast of the Black Sea, dating to c. 12,800 - 4800 BCE. See also: Sinope: Poison, Honey, Greeks & Clay Mad Honey - What's the Buzz? Mugwort (Wormwood) Herbal Lore Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Ancient World Colchians settle Black Sea coasts to the east, today's Georgia. According to historian David Lang, the Colchians are established in the Caucasus by the Middle Bronze Age c. 2000 - 1600 BCE. They call themselves Kartveli. READ: Reiker For Hire - Victorian Detective Murder Mysteries On the south shore, Sinope peninsula extends 20 x 20 km or 12.4 x 12.4 mi. Sloping gently into the Black Sea it's an ideal site for exploration and trade. Extensive occupation of the peninsula continues from the late Paleolithic through the Ottoman period. See also: Kanesh (Kultepe): Kārum City of Trade White Pigments of Ancient Artisans Ancient Greek Cultures: People of Minos Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle According to some mythology Sinope is founded by Amazons and named for their queen, Sinova. Other ancient inhabitants ascribe the founding to Autolycus, a companion of Hercules in c. 1200 BCE. In the 780s BCE Habrondas / Habron expands the habitation. By 782 BCE Cimmerians destroy the settlement and kill Habron. At the same time coastal raids occur throughout the Black Sea regions. Sinope is re-occupied in c. 630 by Ionian Greeks. See also: Jade - Jadeite, Nephrite & Jade Roads Einkorn Wheat - First Domestic Crops Megaliths & Building at Gobekli Tepe Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The implements above come from the ancient Black Sea village of Borodino, in modern Moldova at the western coasts. The hoard dates to the early 2nd millennium BCE. Jade used to make the axes comes from southern Siberia. Black Sea water can be frigid, with strong currents. In winter, water temperatures range from 31 °F (-0.5 °C) in the NW to 48 to 50 °F (9 to 10 °C) in the SE. At first the Greeks call this place Á-xe(i)nos  or "inhospitable" sea. See also: Arcadia - Greek Lands of Ancient Gods Divine Twins: Germanic & Greek Mythology Hünenburg: Bronze Age European Trade Hub Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Later Greeks and Romans, more familiar with the waters and possibly due to bad omens associated with the name, change it to Pontus Euxinus, "hospitable sea". The current Turkish name, Kara Deniz, means Black Sea. READ: Reiker For Hire - Victorian Detective Murder Mysteries The Black Sea has two main layers of water. Plunging down to a depth of 2 mi (3.2 km) into gigantic cracks and crevasses, the majority of water is anoxic. At deeper layers is a fluorescence signal called “deep red fluorescence”, found in dark oceanic waters. See also: Ancient Grains: Wheat, Barley, Millet, Rice Figs - Food of the Ancient World Stone Age Botai - First Horse People Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Only the top shallow layer of water absorbs oxygen to enable life. Water circulation in the Black Sea is poor. The sea's only outlet to the connected major seas and oceans of the world is the Bosporus Strait, a canal leading via the Sea of Marmara to the Mediterranean. The Mediterranean in turn has only one outlet or inlet to the next major water body, the Atlantic Ocean, at the Strait of Gibraltar. Because of this, tides on the Mediterranean are almost nonexistent. See also: Kermes Insect & Ancient Red Pigments Turquoise: Precious Stone of Ancients Gold - Precious Metal of the Sun Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Lack of tides in the Mediterranean results in less water mingling between seas, and water layers forming in the Black Sea. Lower levels are cold and dense. Below 150 - 200 m (492 - 656 ft) is a permanent hydrogen sulfide zone. Hydrogen sulfide is the compound which gives off a strong 'rotten egg' smell. As a gas in water it's corrosive and flammable. Hydrogen sulfide reserves in the Black Sea begin at depths of 200 meters. At water surface they may be seen as mysterious flares in the night. See also: Uluburun - Bronze Age Shipwreck Cilicia (Kazziwatna) - Bounty & Booty Saffron - Most Precious Ancient Spice Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Although sulfur seas are lethal to marine life, some organisms create a basic ecosystem. At the bottom of the Black Sea live hydrogen-sulfide producing bacteria. They're responsible for the high density of H2S at deep levels. According to Black Sea research by U of Washington other microbes in the depths consume H2S, using it as an electron donor for energy. The sulfur microbes also produce a slime to help other bacteria survive. It's not clear if H2S content affects underwater artifacts. See also: Verdigris: Volatile Blue Green Pigment Soap & Medicine Herb of Ancients Disease Demons & Doctors: Ancient Mesopotamia Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Late Paleolithic (c. 40,000 - 10,000 ya) signs of humans appear at Ince Burun (Sinope), extending c. 25 k (15.5 mi) out to sea. The area is once a valley, now submerged. Surveying the undersea coast in 95 m (312 ft) of water, researchers find squared stone blocks. These are possibly the foundations of a human-made structure. The Black Sea coastline has changed radically over the years. Shores which may have held Paleolithic and Neolithic settlements are now under water. See also: Folk Magic: Fly Agaric (Amanita muscaria) Seduction of Hedammu, Father of Snakes Agrippina & Son: Poisonous Plots of Rome Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The oxygenated shallow waters hide sand-burrowing fish with toxic spines and painful stings. Poisoning victims might step on one hidden under sediments and get stung. The fish are often caught in fishing nets dredging the ocean floor. They're sold in markets as bycatch. Other creatures of the Black Sea are bottlenose dolphins and about 180 fish species such as tuna, anchovy, herring, mackerel and white sturgeon. Black sea bass, despite the name, don't live in the Black Sea. See also: Çatalhöyük (Catalhoyuk) Neolithic Anatolia Sailing - Bronze Age Sails & Sailcloth Anat - War Goddess of Ancient Ugarit Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle The coasts are fringed with rocky islands, increasing the danger to ships of ancient times. One of the best known is Snake Island, now in a area of war. In antiquity it's an active religious center of temples and sacrificial rites. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventure Snake Island is used by both Greeks and Romans. In Ukrainian it's Ostriv Zmiinyi. There is evidence of submerged ancient buildings. The region is famous for grey fish-eating snakes. It's also thought to be the burial place of Greek hero Achilles, killed in the Trojan war. See also: Angel of Long Point - Abigail Becker Steam & Style - Agrippina of the Rhine Steam & Coal in Victorian Germany Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The steam sailboat is a popular mode of travel in the late 19th century. Powered by coal, early Victorian era steamers have sails and often paddle wheels too. The Snake Island Lighthouse is built in the autumn of 1842 by the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Empire. The Black Sea is susceptible to strong currents, endangering early maritime travel. During the Bronze Age ships are typically single-masted with one maneuverable sail, a person on the rudder and a galley of rowers. See also: Klabautermann - Germanic Sea Kobold Witches & Witchcraft: Ancient World Victorian Health: Sea Water Hydrotherapy Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Wood is in great demand and the forests of the occupied coast are quickly replaced with agriculture, herds and orchards of fruit trees. In the 15th century the Ottoman Empire deforests the peninsula for ship building. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure A colony of Sinope, Cerasus, is named for cherries, which are thought to originate here and come to the Mediterranean with traders. Ships often follow coasts. If needed shelter might be found, not always. Cliffs are a sheer drop to scattered boulders and churning seas. See also: Women of the Wild Hunt: Holle, Diana, Frigg After the Ice Age - Neolithic Builders Baba Yaga - Slavic Forest Witch Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Evidence of maritime trade and travel on the Black Sea is sparse, due to the necessity of net-dredging fishing, ongoing conflict and other complications. Dredging smooths the sea floor, breaks and scatters artifacts. Nonetheless several shipwrecks are known to be off the coast. The advantage of anoxic water is the slow rate of decay of the ships and their cargoes. Excavations at Sinope also turn up a pottery jug dating c. 2500 BCE. See also: Elp: Bronze Age Militant Cattle Culture Terrazzo Floors & Neolithic Masons Rise of Pan: Fertility Goat God Péh₂usōn Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Prehistoric artifacts help place human settlement around the Black Sea from the Paleolithic, based on flint tools, to the modern era. Reports of early Greek settlers tell of hostile tribes such as Cimmerians. In bits and pieces the Black Sea story comes to light. See also: Oldest Cattle Cult 6000 BCE - Arabia Giant Cinnamon Birds of Arabia Bizilla - Shining Love Goddess Sukkal Back to Top

Sinope on the Black Sea is historically founded by the Greeks. Ionian migrants settle on the isthmus of İnce Burun c. 630 BCE. It's the northernmost extent of Anatolia along the Black Sea coast. Strategically it's an excellent location. See also: Mad Honey - What's the Buzz? Hematite: Magnetic Iron Oxide Red Ancient Grains: Wheat, Barley, Millet, Rice Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle The Ionians come from Miletus to hostile shores. While there's some suggestion of earlier Bronze Age Hittites moving up to the Black Sea coast it's not demonstrated. Hittite-made finds are more likely brought there by the Kaska or another tribe of mountain people. Kaska, Kashka or Kaskians habitually raid Hittite settlements with more or less success. Sometimes they team up with kin, tribe or allies. They fight as mercenaries in titanic power struggles. They sack Hattusa in 1190 BCE, possibly killing the last Hittite King in the process. See also: Suppiluliuma II: the Last Hittite King Kaska - Mountain Raiders of Anatolia Ephedra - Oldest Medical Stimulant Herb Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The reason the Hittite Empire doesn't make it to the Black Sea coast (known at the time as the Great Sea) is the resistance of the mountain tribes, especially the Kaska. Other tribal allies and/or enemies include the Pala and Tumanna also on the southern Black Sea coast. According to 12th century BCE records of Assyrian king Tiglath-Pileser I, Kaska (Apishlu) and their Mushki and Urumu (Urumean) allies are active in the empire once belonging to Hittites. Tiglath-Pileser defeats them and the Kaska disappear from historical records. See also: Cinnamon - Spice Trade of Ancients Gallu (Galla) Demons of Ancient Kur Aufhöcker - Cursed Undead of German Myth Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The Black Sea has an unusual hydrostructure in that deep waters don't mix with upper layers receiving oxygen from the atmosphere. Because of this, over 90% of the deep Black Sea volume is anoxic or oxygen-deprived water. The Black Sea is a treacherous place to be in a tempest. Storms spring up, currents are fierce and shelter not always near. The rocky coast claims many lives. When the Greeks arrive at the place they call Sinope, they claim the world's edge is at the Black Sea. See also: Abzu - Primal Waters of Creation Lotan - Chaos Sea Dragon of Ugarit Figs - Food of the Ancient World Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle The Black Sea has some of the roughest waters in the world, with strong currents and unpredictable storms. It's a challenge for ships. With an average depth of over 2 mi (3.2 k) it's one of Earth's deepest seas. The most dangerous fish in the Black Sea include the sea dragon or greater weever (Trachinus draco) which buries itself in the sand. This fish has poisonous spines and a toxic painful sting. The name weever is an early form of English "viper". See also: Ammurapi - The Last King of Ugarit Lukka: Bronze Age Warrior Sea People Arcadia - Greek Lands of Ancient Gods Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Other poisonous Black Sea creatures include scorpion fish (Scorpaena porcus). The spines of the scorpion fish are equipped venom-releasing glands. A scorpion fish sting causes severe throbbing pain, peaking in 1 to 2 hours. It lasts about 12 hours. Pain can be intense enough to cause hallucinations. Toxicity might manifest as redness, bruising, swelling, numbness, tingling, blisters or vesicles, and peeling flesh at the wound site. See also: Erinyes - Vengeful Women of Ancient Greece Rosemary: Immortal Essence & Balm of Kings Wild Women and Winter Tales Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The common stingray (Dasyatis pastinaca) and stargazer (Uranoscopus scaber) are also creatures to avoid. Like the others they bury themselves in sand and stepping on one is a good way to end a Black Sea jaunt in medical treatment. Before the Ionians arrive from Miletus, by the Meander River, the Black Sea shores are not overtly settled. The mountain clans if any remain are largely nomadic. By the first millennium BCE they've joined other settlements and dissolved into the general population. See also: Mythic Fire Gods: Hephaestus of the Greek Soap & Medicine Herb of Ancients Silver - Queen of Precious Metals Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The rocky shores are dangerous for ships and unsafe for fishing. Toxic creatures lurk in the sandy shallows and coves. However, the pink and purple flowers growing abundantly in the hills are attractive and just a little too stimulating. The Ionians set up camp. It's not long before civilization takes hold. Greeks without civilization are like wheels without wagons. Sinope issues its own coinage, founds colonies, and becomes known for a prized red earth pigment called sinopia after the name of the town. See also: Hematite: Magnetic Iron Oxide Red Red Ocher (Ochre) Ancient Pigments Queen Eleanor & the Calamitous Crusade Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle It's mined in Cappadocia, central Anatolia, though merchants are fond of keeping their secrets. They provide sinopia clay and pigment at Sinope to traders and travelers who brave the Black Sea, or make the overland trip. The color is from the red ocher stone, hematite. Medicinal clays have been used since early humankind. In antiquity sinopia clay comes from a location in central Anatolia kept secret, and distributed through Sinope. The clay is called Rubrica Synopica by physicians, for the Greek settlement. See also: Bronze Age Europe - The Amber Roads Uluburun - Bronze Age Shipwreck Before the Vikings - Early Northern Cultures Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The clay has medicinal use for skin health, and treatment for diarrhea, dysentery and bleeding. Clays are named after the places they originate, as different areas have unique soil compositions and no two clays or ochers are the same. Hematite or iron oxide is the dominant component even in yellow clays. Medicinal clays are usually rich in minerals. The craving to eat clay often means the body is missing one of the minerals the clay contains, such as zinc or iron. See also: Elixir of Life: Alchemy & the Emperor Kaolinite: White Pigment with Benefits Oldest Cult Megaliths - Gobekli Tepe Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Clay can be applied as an astringent as it tightens pores, and as a poultice to soothe arthritic aches. Even today wheel-thrown pottery is recommended as a healing activity for people with arthritis and rheumatic ailments. The Black Sea is then known by the Greeks as Á-xe(i)nos, identified with the Greek word áxeinos (inhospitable). Later Romans call it Pontus Euxinus based on the Greek term. As they come to know the sea better they call it "Hospitable Sea" (Euxeinos Pontos). See also: Pala, Anatolia - Bronze Age Mysteries Tumanna: Ancient Black Sea Kingdom Inara & the Dragon - Purulliya Festival Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books As it turns out the lush purple and pink flowers on the hillsides and their dense-leaved plants are deadly poison, not just to humans but any unfortunate livestock grazing on them. Livestock is usually saved by the bitter taste, which doesn't appeal to the palate. However a little bit of magic happens here as people learn the plants have medical benefits, and in small amounts can act as a sedative or mild psychoactive. Too much and the body shuts down. See also: Anat - War Goddess of Ancient Ugarit Jet Black - Ancient World Gemstones Black Pigments of Ancient Artisans Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books A major discovery occurs when people gather the wild honey produced by local bees who gather nectar and pollen from the showy bright flowers. This honey is hallucinogenic. It can make a person deathly sick, but demonstrates strong spiritual and medicinal benefits. It's thought to boost energy and fight disease. Eventually the honey is attributed with radical restorative powers to low libido or defunct equipment. It's known in modern times as the "sweet" Viagra. On today's black market "mad honey" commands top prices. See also: Stone Age Botai - First Horse People Ancient Deities: Proto Indo European Gods Ḫulbazizi - Ancient Exorcism Ritual Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Eventually, the Greeks strike out to create throughout their tenure 70 to 90 colonies along the Black Sea coast. Black Sea colonization is led by the Megarans and Ionian cities such as Miletus. Agriculture in the Black Sea region gradually expands into cultivation of wheat, corn, sugar beets, sunflower seeds, and potatoes. Recently, Bronze Age artifacts found on the Molda­vian coast of the Black Sea suggest trade earlier than the Ionians. See also: Wigs & Natural Hair in Ancient Egypt Amethyst - Divine Purple Quartz Gemstone Sekhmet - War Goddess of Ancient Egypt Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Jade axes and decorated spearpoints come from the far east in the Sayan Moun­tains of southern Siberia. The closest parallels to these objects are axes found in a Bronze Age hoards known as “Pram’s Treasure” from 2nd century BCE at the entrance of the Black Sea. See also: Jade - Jadeite, Nephrite & Jade Roads Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Arsenic: Murderous Metal & Miracle Cure Back to Top

In Victorian era Germany, steam is an engineer's dream. Wood burning steam machines and logging for quick construction almost destroy the Black Forest. Increased demand focuses on coal. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventure See also; Reiker For Hire Victorian Crime Trilogy Victorian Trends - Stripes to Taxidermy 19th Century: Home Gym, Bicycles, Antiseptic Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Steam boats, steam trains, mills, factories and mines use coal to generate steam to run motors and machines. Coal is in popular use for heating, and in many places is still used today. Before I forget, here's the link to the Reiker For Hire murder mystery detective novellas set in 1896 Victorian era Germany. Very happy this trio of terror has hit the virtual shelves. An exciting private investigator series of short novels, the trilogy is set in Mittelstadt, a mid-sized town south of Frankfurt, Germany. Now, back to steam. See also: Hotel of Horror - The Lady Detective Castle Frankenstein - Legend & Lore German Myth - Harvest Spirits Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Mines and mining are the originators of steam power and the first trains. An early incidence of steam-powered contraptions comes from Rome in the 1st century, when a steam machine is used to displace water and open temple doors. In 1606, Jerónimo de Ayanz y Beaumont of Spain patents a steam-powered water pump. The pump is used successfully to drain flooded mines of Guadalcanal. See also: Mugwort (Wormwood) Herbal Lore Germany: A Little 19th Century History Copper: Ruddy Metal of Myth & Magic Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books From the seventeenth century on, experiments and developments with steam power lay the basis for major industrial advances. The first commercially successful steam engine is patented by Thomas Savery in 1698. Industry brings it all together in the 19th century. Steam runs machines which are previously powered by water flow. Mills and manufacturers no longer depend on a nearby water source. Urban centers see a steady rise in industrialization and population. See also: Verdigris: Volatile Blue Green Pigment Queen Eleanor & the Calamitous Crusade Cyprus: Prehistoric Humans & Pygmy Hippos Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Germany, as the German Confederation. gets its first steam locomotive, the Adler (Eng. Eagle) from England in 1832. Because of political and administrative structure the land of Germany goes through phases of industrial progress. READ - Reiker For Hire - Victorian Detective Murder Mysteries Supplies, workers and information move at record speeds. Books, scholarly and scientific writings are readily available and the curious Victorian mind explores new concepts and inventions. See also: Steam & Style - Agrippina of the Rhine Reiker For Hire - Death Cruise German Myth - Father Rhine River God Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books As a nation Germany is united as the German Empire in 1870. Before that, railways are operated provincially. Working from the English model the early steam locomotive develops into a network of interconnected routes throughout the land. Communication technology like the telegram comes into regular use from 1847. In the latter half of the century electricity and telephones make an appearance but are not in widespread use until the 20th century. Across Europe, coal is king. Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Coal is compressed peat. It comes in several grades of quality with hard, shiny black anthracite valued the highest. Bituminous coal is the next grade down. This is the most popular type of coal for steam engines. Following are brown sub-bituminous coal, also used extensively to power steam machines, and lignite, the most dangerous to health and the environment. These coals and peat were standard fuel for low income people. Men, women and children work in coal mines. See also: German Pioneers: Father of Aviation Great 19th Century German Woman Artists 19th Century Inventions We Still Love Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Lignite is notable for the stone jet, polished and used as a gemstone since Neolithic times. Jet plays a huge role in the Victorian mourning culture. Another type of coal, graphite, doesn't burn well and is used in pencils. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction - German Mythology Adventure The oldest known coal mine in the world is in Ngwenya, southeast Africa, dating back to 43,000 BCE. It's also a site of rare mineral finds such as specularite, a variety of hematite. An iron oxide with a red streak, hematite among the earliest known natural red pigments. See also: Agrippina & Son: Poisonous Plots of Rome Klagefrau: Wailing Woman of German Folklore Night Raven (Nachtkrapp) Germania Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books By the nineteenth century, China has already been mining coal for centuries. Ancient China begins using coal around 3800 BCE. Historians suggest the Chinese pioneer the surface mining of coal c. 3490 BCE. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure The first coal mine of the ancient world, Fushun mine, opens c.1000 BCE in Liaoning Province, a region on the north shore of the Yellow Sea. The fertile Yellow Sea deltas promote one of the most oldest human civilizations. Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Fast forward to 1575 CE, when enterprising Scotsman Sir George Bruce of Carnock opens the first coal mine to extract coal from an undersea "moat pit" on the Firth of Forth. He builds a loading island with 40 ft shaft connected to other shafts for drainage and better ventilation. Steam trains evolve from mine carts, which follow tracks and might be pulled by mules, horses or people. The first passenger trains have boxes but no roofs, so travelers are plagued with black coal smoke blowing back in their faces. This soon changes. Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books As trains come into use as popular transportation, new designs improve the comfort of riders. The widespread use of coal in Europe arouses the ire of woodcutters and foresters, whose living has now gone up in smoke. READ - Reiker For Hire - Victorian Detective Murder Mysteries Those who purvey wood, or who prefer the smell of wood to coal smoke, vocally oppose the transition from wood to coal. In England coal is called "the devil's excrement." Still timber is in demand. Urban centers burst upwards and outwards, and ship building increases. Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books As steel comes to the fore, ships evolve with iron hulls and sheeting. In the early 19th century wood is still the preferred building medium in Europe, not just for ships but to house the urban population explosion. Throughout centuries the timber trade razes woodlands like the Cedar Forests of Lebanon, the Black Forest of Germany, the oak forests of England. Millions of acres of forest in North America are denuded. As the world runs out of wood, coal becomes the primary option. See also: Fire Men & Lights Errant: German Lore Periwinkle: Magic & Medicine of Europe Amazing Legacy of Alexander von Humboldt Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle The first major coal mines in the Western world appear during the 1750s in northwest Germany, in the valleys of the rivers Ruhr, Inde and Wurm. Here coal seams come to the surface in abundant quantities. In 1782 the Krupp family begins operations near Essen. By the end of the nineteenth century Krupp is one of the biggest names in steel. See also: German Folklore - Irrwurz or Mad Root Hünenburg: Bronze Age European Trade Hub Sugar Beets, Altbier & First Newspaper Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In the early part of the century wood is the primary fuel for heating and cooking in homes and businesses. It's used to power steam machines in industries, trains and boats. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Coal comes into demand because coal burns longer than wood, saving money and labor of restocking. In the home, people begin using coal in the 1800s for heat, although by 1860 wood is still the dominant fuel. By 1890, almost everyone uses coal. See also: Easter Bunny, Prussian Blue & Humboldt Penguins 19th Century: Home Gym, Bicycles, Antiseptic Rhinestones: Treasures of the Rhine Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books By the end of the nineteenth century steam trains and steamships are the ultimate in fast, efficient luxury and practical travel in Europe. The Great Divergence or European miracle occurs in the 19th century. It's due to a socio-economic shift. Parts of the Western world overcome growth barriers, emerging as the most significant and prosperous world civilizations. See also: German Myth - Harvest Spirits Winter Tales - 4 Novellas Edelweiss: Alpine Flower of True Love Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle In order of GPD (Gross Domestic Product) per capita the most prolific spikes occur in several nations in the second half of the 19th century. Countries include Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Japan. It comes at a price. In some areas, coal smoke is so thick, birds fall dead from the sky. Coal-powered companies pump waste into waterways such as the Thames, the Rhine and other major water sources. Environmental activism against coal mining first appears in 1890. See also: Chamomile - Herbology & Folklore 3 Great German Artists for Art Lovers Nixies - Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Steam also becomes a health trend in the 19th century, as Europeans seek comfort and relaxation from stressful lives with a rest at the spa. European resort spas are built around mineral springs and hot springs. Hydrotherapy is a popular natural health treatment See also: Jimson Weed, Witches & Zombies Wandering Womb - Ancient Medicine Pioneering German Women - Bertha Benz Back to Top

Reiker for Hire x 3! Mystery, action, humor, illusion and bloody murder take the stage as private detective Reiker embarks on three thrilling crime adventures in late Victorian era Germany. It's 1896. As a new century nears, life moves faster than ever before. With the advent of techniques such as fingerprinting, police work and forensics get better. So does crime. See also: Lora Ley Adventures - Feast of Fools Herbology & Lore: Plantain Plant Ancient Deities: Proto Indo European Gods Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books People find autonomy in new inventions such as the bicycle. Photography develops. Women's and worker's rights groups appear. Interest in the occult rises. Archaeology, health & fitness, debates about the debauchery of theater and science vs. nature are all in fashion. Tap any pic below to visit the book's home page. Read a free sample. Get the Reiker for Hire novellas singly or as an anthology. Enjoy. See also: Wolpertinger - German Myths & Folklore Nibelung - Of Heroes & Worms Eschenfrau: Wicked Ash Tree Woman Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In Death Cruise, a scenic river cruise on the beautiful Rhine goes horribly wrong when tourists and crew drop dead in unpleasant ways. As the river cruise stops at Strasburg, Speyer, Heidelberg and Worms, Germany the death count mounts. With the help of a fallen woman, can Reiker stop the madness before he, Schneider and Addie become statistics on the murder roster? See also: Victorian Trends - Stripes to Taxidermy Queen Eleanor & the Calamitous Crusade Dragons: German Harvest & Nature Spirits Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In Hotel of Horror, a grisly murder in a derelict health spa is just one of the hotel's heinous secrets. Inspired by a true story and the imaginative science of Victorian times, Hotel of Horror is an action-packed ride through a fun fair of death. An eccentric genius disappears, a woman detective appears, and a family secret has horrible consequences. See also: The Mystic Victorian - Fortune Telling Nature Spirits of German Mythology Industry & the Age of Monsters Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In Murder in the Cards, a fortune teller's predictions of homicide come true. When no one believes her, she calls on Reiker to stop the crimes before they happen. Meanwhile, a magician's lovely assistant is a murder target. April beguiles a randy Baron, secret motor vehicle stock values soar and an elephant is suspected of murder. Tap any book cover art to go to the book's home page on Smashwords. Read a free sample. See also: German Myth - Harvest Spirits Ambrosia: Divine Nectar & Immortal Gods The Anxious Victorian - Mental Health Back to Top

Periwinkle is a flowering plant also called witches' herb and graveyard plant. A member of the Vinca genus, periwinkle is native to Europe, naturalized elsewhere. Potent in magic and medicine, periwinkle is also deadly. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure See also: Jimson Weed, Witches & Zombies Witches' Night - Hexennacht Elderberry Tree: Germanic Nature Lore Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The name periwinkle comes from the Slavic word, pervinka, meaning "first" in reference to early spring flowers. Periwinkle is cultivated as an ornamental herb as well as a magic and medicine plant. READ: Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction German Mythology Adventure Series Also called myrtle, periwinkle belongs to the Apocynaceae or dogbane family. Varieties such as rose colored Madagascar periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus or Vinca rosea) are treasured today as garden flora and as a natural health herb since ancient Mesopotamia c. 2600 BCE. See also: Ephedra - Oldest Medical Stimulant Herb Soap & Medicine Herb of Ancients Folk Magic: Fly Agaric (Amanita muscaria) Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Periwinkle is used in magic for healing and love spells. It's not recommended for human or animal consumption in any amount and may also cause allergic skin reactions in sensitive people. Periwinkle relates to Venus, water and the feminine principle. Vinca plants are toxic to dogs, cats and horses due to the powerful alkaloids they carry. As with many poisonous plants and animals, their toxic components are the basis for healing medicine. See also: Magic: Heka & the Ka in Ancient Egypt Curse of the Evil Eye & Apotropaic Magic Ammit - Eater of the Heavy Heart Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Symptoms of Vinca poisoning include vomiting diarrhea abdominal cramps (mild) low blood pressure depression listlessness tremors seizures coma death Periwinkle variety Catharanthus roseus is used in Ayurveda (Indian traditional medicine). Madagascar Periwinkle is ‘Nayantara’ in Bengali, ‘Ushamalari’ in Malayalam, and ‘Sadapushpa’ in Hindi. Native to Madagascar, it's found growing throughout the world. See also: Fire Men & Lights Errant: German Lore Night Raven (Nachtkrapp) Germania Rise of Pan: Fertility Goat God Péh₂usōn Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The plant is used to treat diabetes sore throat lung congestion skin infections eye irritation skin lesions ... and as a cancer preventative. Certain alkaloids of periwinkle are thought to stimulate brain activity and protect against brain decay. In traditional Chinese medicine, sap, roots and components of the plant have a number of health benefits including treatment of diabetes, malaria, and Hodgkin's lymphoma. Sadapushpa grows in colors from bright pink to red, and in milky white tones. See also: Hyssop - Magic & Medicine Herb Lore Wandering Womb - Ancient Medicine Heh Gods & Eternal Life in Ancient Egypt Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Sadapushpa and European periwinkles are evergreen perennials, returning to bloom year after year and remaining green even when other plants shed their leaves in cool climates. One of the spiritual meanings of periwinkle is longevity in life and/or relationships. READ: Reiker For Hire - Victorian Detective Murder Mysteries Flowers of Vinca plants, woven into garlands, offer protection from magical harm, spirit attacks and chaos evil. For instance a periwinkle garland or necklace is thought to keep away entities of malevolent Elf (Alp) magic, such as the Mare or Schrat of bad dreams. See also: Herbs & Natural Remedies - Ancient Egypt Jet Black - Ancient World Gemstones Mulberry Tree (Morus): Uses, Folklore & Myth Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Elves at one time are thought to cause physical sickness, plagues, mental illness, delusions and crop blight. They may steal children. Protective symbols against evil elf magic, pentagrams are sometimes found etched in ancient doorways or window frames. While there are several genera and species of periwinkle, only two are found in non-Mediterranean Europe. They're Vinca (Rauvolfioideae) and Vincetoxicum (Asclepiadoideae). See also: House Spirits of Germanic Mythology Queen Eleanor & the Calamitous Crusade Witches & Witchcraft: Ancient World Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Vinca major is invasive in temperate parts of United States, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. It is especially a common noxious weed in riparian area and oak forests of coastal California. Vinca is a survivor. It forms dense strands to choke out other plant life, and prevents saplings from growing by hoarding the sunlight. Periwinkle moves from place to place in dumped human garden waste or as plant fragments carried along in water. See also: Drude: Germanic Demon of Darkness German Myth & Folklore: Elves Women of the Wild Hunt: Holle, Diana, Frigg Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Dried periwinkle flowers or periwinkle root is used in spells and charms to attract or enhance love. Incense of dried leaves can promote sexual desire and pleasure. Periwinkle leaves protect against evil spirits, snakes and wild animals, poison, fear or anxiety. Worn in a locket or as an amulet periwinkle flowers attract romance and good love. The herb prevents victimization by emotional soul-suckers and energy vampires. The five petals of the periwinkle represent the five-point pentagram of protection. See also: Elderberry Tree: Germanic Nature Lore Agrippina & Son: Poisonous Plots of Rome Disease Demons & Doctors: Ancient Mesopotamia Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle The dried leaves are good for smudging to clear away negative energy. In both magic and medicine periwinkle is associated with memory. Meditating on a periwinkle flower is said to bring back lost memories. Medicinal properties of the toxins include mental dexterity. In necromancy, periwinkle is associated with the dead, spirits of the dead, grieving and the emotion of grief. In Europe periwinkle is woven into crowns for deceased children at their burials. See also: Aufhöcker - Cursed Undead of German Myth Ambrosia: Divine Nectar & Immortal Gods Fairy Rings, Moon & Nature Magic Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Grown at the grave of the deceased, periwinkle helps parents overcome the grief of losing a child. It can also be used to placate restless spirits such as the Undead, thus often found planted near or in graveyards. See also: Wiedergänger - the Undead Walk Again Ib the Heart: Book of the Dead Egypt Myrrh - Mystique, Death & Divinity Back to Top

Ammurapi is the last ruler and king of the Syrian Bronze Age city of Ugarit. He's a contemporary of Hittite King Suppiluliuma II, the last Hittite king. Battling internal strife and annihilation by Sea Peoples, Ammurapi rules in turmoil c. 1215 - 1180 BCE. See also: Ugarit - Trade Hub of Bronze Age Syria Gods of Ugarit c. 1800 - 1200 BCE Anat - War Goddess of Ancient Ugarit Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books An important Bronze Age trade port and city-state appearing c 1800 BCE, Ugarit reaches the height of prosperity c. 1500 BCE. Ugarit trades with Egypt, Cyprus (Alashiya), Crete and the Aegean, Syria, Hittites, cities of Levant and most of the eastern Mediterranean. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Coastal city Ugarit in North Syria has been called a Canaanite, Phoenician and Levantine site. Today it's Ras Shamra (Raʾs Shamrah). In the Bronze Age, sea routes and inland trade trails come together at Ugarit. Three busy seaports grace the Ugaritic shores. See also: Mot - Death & the Ugarit Underworld Baal Cycle - Myths of Ba'al Hadad Kothar (Kothar-wa-Khasis) Artisan God Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Then, mayhem. A flurry of letters is exchanged. From the King of Alashiya: "Regarding what you wrote me before: "Enemy ships were observed at sea!" If it is true that ships were observed, reinforce yourself. Where are your troops and chariots? Are they not with you? If not, who will deliver you from the enemy? Surround your cities with walls and bring your troops and chariots into them. Watch out for the enemy and reinforce yourself well!" See also: Weapons & Warfare of Bronze Age Europe 1 Was Scepter, Djed & Ankh Power Trio Sherden Sea Peoples in Ancient Egypt Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books During the attacks of the Sea Peoples, a major factor of the Bronze Age collapse, the King of Alashiya begs Ammurapi for his help. He cannot give it. He writes: "My father behold, the enemy's ships came; my cities were burned, and they did evil things in my country. Does not my father know that all my troops and chariots are in the Land of Hatti, and all my ships are in the Land of Lukka? ... Thus, the country is abandoned to itself. May my father know it: the seven ships of the enemy that came here inflicted much damage upon us." See also: Bronze Age Cultures - the Hittites Lukka: Bronze Age Warrior Sea People The Shekelesh - Bronze Age Mysteries Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Eshuwara, the senior governor of Cyprus, responds: "As for the matter concerning those enemies: the people from your country (and) your own ships did this! And the people from your country committed these transgression(s) ... I am writing to inform you and protect you. Be aware!" Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Another translation of this letter reads: "Regarding the things that the enemies have done to the people of your country and your ships, they have done these transgressions against the people of the country. Thus, do not be angry with me. Now, the twenty ships that the enemies earlier left in the mountainous areas, have not stayed behind. They left suddenly and we do not know where they are. I write to you to inform you so that you can guard yourself. Be informed!" See also: Pomegranate - Food of the Ancients Arcadia - Greek Lands of Ancient Gods Humbaba: Giant Mountain Forest Man Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Finally Ammurapi pleads with the Hittite viceroy at Carchemish to send help. The enemy has captured Ugarit's port Ra’šu, and advances on the city. "To the king, my lord say, thus Ammurapi, your servant.… I wrote you twice, thrice, [new]s regarding the enemy! … May my lord know that now the enemy forces are stationed at Ra’šu, and their avant-guard forces were sent to Ugarit. Now may my lord send me forces and chariots, and may my lord save me from the forces of this enemy!" See also: The Igigi - Why Humans are Created Shakhar & Shalim: Divine Twins of Ugarit Namni & Hazzi - Mountain Gods Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle When at last Carchemish answers his plea, Ammurapi can only respond with bitterness. When your messenger arrived, the army was humiliated and the city was sacked. Our food in the threshing floors was burnt and the vineyards were also destroyed. Our city is sacked. May you know it! May you know it! Prior to his part in the Bronze Age collapse, Ammurapi is known for divorcing his wife, a Hittite princess who commits a 'grievous sin'. Hittite Suppiluliuma II approves the divorce. While some consider divorce an act of war, the Kings feel it shows goodwill between them. Women of the Wild Hunt: Holle, Diana, Frigg 1st Peace Treaty 1258 BCE - the Queens Mountain Gazelle: Wild Ancient World Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books However, when Ammurapi needs his chariots, Suppiluliuma is watching them burn. The ferocious Kashka, loosely organized mountain raiders from the Black Sea coast, take advantage of the battles and disorder to attack and finally sack the Hittite capital Hattusa. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure A self-governed city state, Ugarit is a vassal of the Hittite Empire since c. 1400 BCE. Ugarit backs the Hittites at the famous Battle of Kadesh c. 1275 BCE, but diplomatically retains trade friendliness with Egypt. Thus the King hopes for help from that source. See also: Kaska - Mountain Raiders of Anatolia Tollense Valley Battlefield: Ancient Germania Shaushka (Šauška) - the Great Goddess Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books By 1200 BCE Egypt has been battling Sea Peoples in coastal skirmishes for about two hundred years. Once in a while warrior mercenaries of the tribes show up in the Egyptian army. They just as easily appear in enemy attacks. Egypt is no help to Ammurapi. In 1213 BCE the death of Pharaoh Ramesses II, in his 90s, puts his 70-year-old fourth son Merneptah on the throne, as Ramesses outlives his other sons and heirs. Merneptah is busy smiting Libyan uprisers and their Sea People allies. See also: Rise of Pan: Fertility Goat God Péh₂usōn Cult of the Bull: Divine Sacrifice Ancient Deities: Proto Indo European Gods Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Cyprus, despite pleas for help, survives the attack with little damage. Hittites, Luwians and Babylonian Kassites all crumble beneath an onslaught which has been gathering force, waiting to happen. For about fifty years, the area has been disrupted by earthquakes. Several years of drought also cause desperate times. Harassment by raiders and failure of crops contribute to famine and sickness. See also: Girsu (Tello): Ancient Sumerian City Fairy Rings, Moon & Nature Magic Rise of Pan: Fertility Goat God Péh₂usōn Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Ammurapi is the last King to occupy the Royal Palace at Ugarit. Among the most important discoveries, the palace is the royal residence of the rulers of ancient Ugarit. The palace and vast ruins of the city-state are excavated from the 1930s. See also: Abzu - Primal Waters of Creation German Myth: Lindwyrm, Mare & Pig Demons Folk Magic: Fly Agaric (Amanita muscaria) Back to Top

Anat is a war goddess and deity of the hunt in ancient Ugarit, Ḫanat and Tanis. In the Baal Cycle she's an ally to the God Baal, battling death personification Mot. Anat is equated with Athena of the Greek pantheon. See also: Ugarit - Trade Hub of Bronze Age Syria Mot - Death & the Ugarit Underworld Baal (Ba'al): Storm God & Love Demon She's called Ḫanat in Iraq, namesake of her patron town. Many say Ḫanat is the forerunner of Anat. A ferocious goddess, she's admired for courage and warrior skill. symbols include the Atef crown of Egypt, connected to Osiris, God of the Dead. She may have wings and powers of flight as an angelic, vengeful, protective or valkyrie figure. Anat carries a spear and shield. Baal or Set might act as consort. Her epithets include Mistress of Kingship, Mistress of Dominion and Mistress of the High Heavens. See also: Pentagram: Drudenfuß, Five Point Star Fire Men & Lights Errant: German Lore Ib the Heart: Book of the Dead Egypt Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books According to Ugaritic texts, Anat dwells on the mountain ‘Inbubu. The mountain's location is given in some sources as Mount Zaphon. Anat and Baal as Ba'al Zaphon live together there. Guardian of maritime trade, Ba'al Zaphon stands atop two mountains. According to Theodore J. Lewis, Anat is "without doubt the most vivid of the Ugaritic goddesses." Anat is greatly beloved by Egyptian Pharaoh Ramesses II in the 13th century BCE. See also: Figs - Food of the Ancient World Was Scepter, Djed & Ankh Power Trio Ram God of Egypt Ba-neb-djedet Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books At one time Anat is linked to fertility and sexuality. As time passes, she becomes more of a tomboy in nature and the association is rarely used today. Even El describes her as having masculine qualities. In Ugarit she's worshipped together with Ashtart as Anat-wa-Ashtart in an incantation against snakebite. Fertility goddess Ashtart (Astarte) also consorts with Baal and is most likely mother of his three daughters. The best known is Asray of the Underworld. See also: Jet Black - Ancient World Gemstones Asray: Ugaritic Underworld Goddess Abzu - Primal Waters of Creation Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Anat may have Amorite origins. In an entry ritual of Ashtart taking place over several days, Anat receives the snout and neck of an unidentified animal. following the offerings of gold and silver to Shapash (Shapshu), Yarikh and Gaṯaru on the second day. Israel and Palestine, ruled by the Pharaohs of Egypt during the Bronze Age, show evidence of her worship in the Levant. She's also attested in Phoenician inscriptions. See also: Rise of the Phoenicians - Early Years Amurru: Amorite Bronze Age Kingdom Shapshu: Sun Goddess of Canaanites Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books On Cyprus she's associated with Greek Goddess Athena, also a deity of war. As a divine Huntress Anat relates to Greek hunting deity Artemis (Rom. Diana). Diana is considered one of the leaders of the European phenomenon the Wild Hunt. Anat can be invoked against powers of the evil eye (‘nn hlkt). At the time of her popularity in the ancient world, women are not expected to be warlike. Her pursuit of activities deemed masculine, namely hunting and war, represents an inversion or reversal of gender roles. See also: Gods of Ugarit c. 1800 - 1200 BCE Women of the Wild Hunt: Holle, Diana, Frigg Periwinkle: Magic & Medicine of Europe Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In sacrificial offerings she receives both rams and bulls. In the standard Ugaritic list of deities, she is placed between Athirat (Asherah) and Shapash. In the Ba'al Cycle, Anat is first mentioned when El summons her to perform a ritual. Researchers suspect this is a ploy to distract Anat from helpng Baal. Although El is the father of Ba'al, he supports the chaos sea god Yam. See also: Wild Women and Winter Tales Lotan - Chaos Sea Dragon of Ugarit Asherah: Goddess of Childbirth & Fertility Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Later, when Yam, Baal's rival for the position of King of the Gods, sends his messengers to the divine assembly, Anat and Ashtart prevent Ba'al from harming them. Anat seizes his right hand while the Ashtart seizes his left. When Baal is killed by Mot, the personification of death, Anat comes for revenge. She kills Mot and cuts him up. She threshes his remains with a blade, winnows them with a sieve, burns them in a fire, grinds them with a millstone, and finally scatters them for birds to eat. See also: Elp: Bronze Age Militant Cattle Culture Reiker For Hire Victorian Crime Trilogy Ba Bird & Sacred Ram - Ancient Egypt Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Mot resurrects himself with some difficulty and complains to Ba'al at his treatment by Anat. However Mot gets no satisfaction and El's favor returns to Baal, who rules again as the King of Gods. In the Epic of Aqhat (c. 1350 BCE) Anat covets a bow given by the craftsman god Kothar-wa-Khasis to Aqhat, the mortal son of King Danel. She asks Aqhat to give it to her, and he refuses, scoffing "now do womenfolk hunt?" See also: Kothar (Kothar-wa-Khasis) Artisan God Herbs & Natural Remedies - Ancient Egypt Drude: Germanic Demon of Darkness Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Anat is piqued and asks El's permission to punish the impious human. El gives it and Anat invites Aqhat to a hunt. Secretly she plots to kill him, bringing in a man named Yatipan, a Sutean warrior. Yapitan does the deed but the bow breaks in the struggle. Anat is enraged all the more. As Aqhat's body is eaten by vultures, a message gets to Danel that Anat is instrumental in the disappearance of his son. See also: Nekhbet - Vulture Goddess of Egypt Pomegranate - Food of the Ancients Erinyes - Vengeful Women of Ancient Greece Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The rest of the text covers burial of Aqhat's remains, and the revenge of his sister Pughat against Yatipan. Thinking Pughat is Anat, Yatipan boasts to her about his killing of Aqhat, whereupon she slays him. Anat gets away with it in the end. See also: Lora Ley Adventures - Feast of Fools Silver - Queen of Precious Metals Lucifer, Venus & Anti-Gods of Mythology Back to Top

Šuppiluliuma II is the last King of the Hittites. As every end marks a beginning, Suppiluliuma II is also credited with the first naval battle in history, against the Cypriots of the Mediterranean c.1210 BCE. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure See also: Ammurapi - The Last King of Ugarit Baal Cycle - Myths of Ba'al Hadad Rise of the Phoenicians - Early Years Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The Battles of Alashiya (Cyprus) are two maritime wars and one joint land and naval event. They take place under various rulers between 1275 - 1205 BCE. In 1274 BCE Hittites also fight Egyptians for Kadesh, leading to the world's first peace treaty in 1258 BCE. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure In 1210 BC, a fleet under command of Suppiluliuma defeats the Greek Cypriots with a decisive victory at sea. It's considered the first true naval battle in history. Victory is sweet but it won't last long. See also: 1st Peace Treaty 1258 BCE - the Queens Amurru: Amorite Bronze Age Kingdom Shapshu: Sun Goddess of Canaanites Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle The Hittite-Cypriot battle of 1210 BCE is recorded in inscriptions of the Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses III. The writings are considered the earliest references to a true sea battle. The Egyptians follow it up with an epic maritime battle of their own in 1175 BCE. Suppiluliuma II ascends to Kingship 1207 - 1178 BCE. He's not a bad king. He inherits a disaster. The once-glorious Kingdom of the Hittites crumbles. Assyrians are sniffing at the back door. Mountain raiders decimate the north and set their eyes on the capital, Hattusa. See also: Assyrians: Reign of Tukulti-Ninurta I Kaska - Mountain Raiders of Anatolia Bronze Age Cultures - the Hittites Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In the Bronze Age, seagoing ships are typically powered by rowers and a single maneuverable sail. The sail might be of hemp or linen. Cedar wood is coveted by ship builders due to its lightness, versatility and resistance to insects and rot. The Great Cedar Forests of Lebanon supply the wood for ships. They're said to be guarded by ferocious flying dragons and the dread giant Humbaba. Ugarit and Byblos are among the centers of ship building and trade in the Levant. Mortise and tenon construction is popular. See also: Sailing - Bronze Age Sails & Sailcloth Byblos, Vibrant Port City - Bronze Age Ugarit - Trade Hub of Bronze Age Syria Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Strife on the Mediterranean forces the Hittites to focus on maritime tactics to quell rebellions and conquer seaports. The Hittite Empire dominates the Kingdom of Alashiya since the 14th century BCE, having seized it for control of copper and trade. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure In the early 13th century BCE seafaring people of the Lukka Lands and Kizzuwatna (later Lycia and Cilicia) attack Hittite fleets. Attacks provoke the Hittites into sending an invasive force against Alashiya three times between c. 1275 - 1205 BCE. See also: Anat - War Goddess of Ancient Ugarit Baal (Ba'al): Storm God & Love Demon Gold - Precious Metal of the Sun Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Under the command of Great King Suppiluliuma the Hittite Army engages Alashiyan land forces on the beach. The Hittite Navy battles the Alashiyan fleet off the coast of Cyprus. According to some historians, victories against the Cypriots are won using Ugaritic ships. Ugarit is a major sea and land trade hub in Northern Syria. Not depending on goodwill alone, the city-state also has a strong navy and army. As vassal to the Hittite Empire, Ugarit fights with the Hittites against Ramesses II at the legendary Battle of Kadesh (1274 BCE). See also: Gods of Ugarit c. 1800 - 1200 BCE Ka - Life Essence in Ancient Egypt Ib the Heart: Book of the Dead Egypt Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Ugarit is also a major Hittite military port. Hittites control trade, ships and ship-building. They use Ugarit as a strategic site for military campaigns. When Suppiluliuma II wins the battle of 1210 BCE against the Cypriot forces, he doesn't know it's the beginning of the end. Suppiluliuma II is well recorded in Luwian inscriptions. At one time Luwian is the most commonly spoken language in Hittite Anatolia. See also: Luwians - Mysteries of Ancient Anatolia Ancient Deities: Proto Indo European Gods Women of the Wild Hunt: Holle, Diana, Frigg Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Luwian hieroglyphs are favored by many Hittite and neo-Hittite regions for monumental inscriptions. The inscriptions are often bi- or tri-lingual inscriptions with Aramaic, Phoenician or Akkadian versions. The reliefs describe major political instability plaguing the Land of Hatti (Hittite Kingdom) during the reign of Suppiluliuma II. Inscriptions record the wars of Šuppiluliuma II against former Anatolian vassal Tarhuntassa, and against Alashiya. See also: Ephedra - Oldest Medical Stimulant Herb Sherden Sea Peoples in Ancient Egypt Terramare Culture - Bronze Age Italy Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Šuppiluliuma II sacks Tarhuntassa, a Hittite holding and briefly the Empire's political capital under the reign of Muwatalli II. Hieroglyphic Luwian inscriptions from the late 13th century BCE mention Great King Hartapu as ruling Tarhuntassa. Son of Great King Mursili III, Hartapu rebels against Šuppiluliuma II, whom he sees as an usurper as a descendent of an usurper (Hattusili III). The fighting ends with the usurper victorious. Hattusilis III - Great Hittite Kings Khnum: Ram Headed Potter God Egypt Garnets - Gemstones of Blood and Life Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Uprisings of coastal Mediterranean conquests of the Hittite Empire are backed by warlike Lukka and Ahhiyawā powers. They severely tax the resources of King Suppiluliuma II. The Hittite Kingdom is thinly spread and has a lot of enemies. Small groups form alliances, conquered people complain about taxes and suddenly balance of power shifts. In the mountains groups such as the Kashka, Tumanna and Pala fight to keep the Hittites from the Black Sea Coast, and succeed. Later, the Kashka sack Hattusa. See also: Hattusa Green Stone - Mystic Secrets Bashmu (Bašmu): Voracious Serpent Dragon Myrrh - Mystique, Death & Divinity Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The Sea Peoples have already decimated the Aegean by c 1200 BCE. Their warring spree carries them to Canaan. On the way they capture Hittite-dominated Cilicia (Kazziwatna) and Cyprus. At Canaan they pause to found the state of Philistia. Based on records in Ugarit, the threat from the Sea Peoples originates in the west. The Hittite king calls urgently for assistance from Ugarit ... See also: Cilicia (Kazziwatna) - Bounty & Booty Copper - Ruddy Metal of Myth & Magic Ḫulbazizi - Ancient Exorcism Ritual Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle The enemy [advances] against us and there is no number ... . Our number is pure(?) ... Whatever is available, look for it and send it to me. ... which explains why Ammurapi, the last King of Ugarit, goes down in flames. Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The end of Suppiluliuma II is unknown. Either he abandons the city, or killed in the Kashka-driven sack of Hattusa in 1190 BCE. He disappears from record. The last King's history are in the inscriptions he works on until the last minute. Hattusa is fully abandoned by 1187 BCE. See also: German Folklore - Irrwurz or Mad Root Jet Black - Ancient World Gemstones Butter - Food of Peasants & Barbarians Back to Top

White dead nettle, dead-nettle or deadnettle (Lamium album) is one of the plants of ancient natural health. Native to Europe and Asia it a plant of healing, longevity, balance, unity, prosperity, attraction of fortune, spiritual awareness and the divine connection. See also: Myth & Metallurgy - Metals of Antiquity Gold - Precious Metal of the Sun Ancient Marsh Muse - Rough Horsetail Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle White dead nettle looks similar to the stinging nettle but has no sting. It's native to Europe and Asia, favoring grassland or woods. It's called bee nettle as the plump white flowers are beloved by bees, especially bumblebees, and other long-tongued insects. According to writer Mrs. M. Grieve (1931) a distillation of the flowers is reputed "to make the heart merry, to make a good color in the face, and to make the vital spirits more fresh and lively." Flowers can be taken as tea or distilled for essential oil. See also: Elixir of Life: Alchemy & the Emperor Jimson Weed, Witches & Zombies Nixies - Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Distillation and extraction produce the essences of the plant. In practices such as alchemy and herbal medicine these can be recombined on the philosophy that the whole is more than the sum of its parts. Distilled, extracted, crystalized or heated to transmutation, the plant can be combined with other plants or their reductions. The leaves and flowers are edible, used in soup, salad and stews. See also: Hyssop - Magic & Medicine Herb Lore Copper - Ruddy Metal of Mystic Magic Gnomes: Earth Spirits of Renaissance Mythology Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle The flowers have a delicate taste with a sweet spot of nectar. In folk medicine white dead nettle tea is taken for urinary, kidney or menstrual problems. Reduced, macerated, crushed or boiled the plant makes a poultice for eczema, wounds and bruises. Dead nettle combines well with other healing plants and can benefit from infusion of plant parts or oils from the rose family and those of the Asterids including rosemary, daisy, ash tree and nightshades. Some nightshades are toxic; others, like potato and eggplant, are not. See also: Witches' Night - Hexennacht Elderberry Tree: Germanic Nature Lore Plant Lore: Stinking Nightshade, Henbane White dead nettle connects to the Soul Star chakra. This chakra is often symbolized by a glowing white star and is considered the gateway of divine love and spiritual wisdom. Naturalized in North America, Lamium album is found around the world on roadsides, in fields and hedges, and in sites of waste disposal where soil is nitrogen-rich. Usually the white dead nettle plant likes moist, fertile soils. See also: Bronze Age Europe - The Amber Road Mythic Fire Gods: Hephaestus of the Greek Herbology & Lore: Death Cap Mushrooms Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Herbs and plants to boost the innate properties of white dead nettle include those of the mint family such as hyssop and lavender. Research and experimentation continues to discover the healing magic of white dead nettle. See also: Periwinkle: Magic & Medicine of Europe Chamomile - Herbology & Folklore Black Pigments of Ancient Artisans Back to Top

Druden (sing. Drude) are creatures of darkness, part of the complex cosmology of German myth and folklore. The Drude is a demon greatly feared. Druden take part in the Wild Hunt, along with elves, satyrs, Gods and eight-legged horses. READ: Lora Ley Adventures - Germanic Mythology Fiction Series See also Disease Demons & Doctors: Ancient Mesopotamia German Myth & Folklore: Elves Butzemann, Witches & Nyx - Scare 'em Good Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The Drude lives in the realm of demons and can access the world of mortals to make lives miserable in any of several ways. Demonic portals include mirrors and natural rock formations, fountains and magic circles. Druden can appear in various forms. The Coleridge poem Christabel uses the premise of evil unable to cross a threshold. When the 'witch' Geraldine falls down at the door, Christabel carries her inside, sealing her own fate. An iron knife buried under a threshold is also thought to keep bad magic from entering. See also: Herbology & Lore: Poison Hemlock Aufhöcker - Cursed Undead of German Myth Demons - Evil Udug of Mesopotamia Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Geraldine's a good example of a manipulative power-hungry Drude as she seduces the father of Christabel and turns him against his daughter. Besides spreading plague and devastation, the Druden destroy harmony by seeding lies and doubts. READ: Lora Ley Adventures - Germanic Mythology Fiction Series In nightmare-bringing aspect, the Drude relates to the Mare. The Mare belongs to the Elfin category of malevolent creatures. Elves (German: Alpen, Elben, Elfen sing. Alp, Elf) are thought to cause disease of people, animals and crops. See also: Lammašaga: Sumerian Angel Goddess German Myth: Lindwyrm, Mare & Pig Demons Lora Ley - Book 5 - The Corn Spirits Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books During the European witch-hunts (c 1400 - 1670 CE), elves are said to act on instruction of a witch, who is in league with the Christian Devil. The founder of Lutheranism, Martin Luther (1483 - 1546 CE), believed his mother to be afflicted by witches and Elf magic. The connection between elves and witches grows from superstitions surrounding the demonic Druden, who are linked with evil elfin cunning and magic. 'Drude' becomes synonymous with 'witch' in 1500s Europe. See also: Lora Ley - Book 4 - Poltergeist Wiedergänger - the Undead Walk Again German Myth - Werewolves Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books A Drude may keep company with creatures such as Poltergeist and Roggenwolf. The Rye Wolf is among the most vicious of the Germanic corn spirits or harvest demons. This demon may hunt alone but is also likely to form partnerships with others of its kind. READ: Lora Ley Adventures - Germanic Mythology Fiction Series Protection against Druden and related occult entities includes the Drudenfuss (Drudenfuß) or Drude's foot. It's also called Alpfuss or Elf's foot. A pentagram symbol, it's still used in modern times as protection from evil. See also: Witches' Night - Hexennacht Jimson Weed, Witches & Zombies Baba Yaga - Slavic Forest Witch Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle The symbol is found today inscribed in ancient doorways or entrances in the Old World. It prevents Druden and Elfin magic from entering. The practice comes to America with immigration. Drudenfuss is also a name for mistletoe, a poisonous plant. In Germania, evil roams the darkness of cold winter nights. In lore mistletoe repels creatures such as Druden. Evergreen with white or red berries, it's cheerful in a home and guards against hostile magic. See also: Pretty Poisons: Holly, Yew, Mistletoe Einkorn Wheat - First Domestic Crops Lapis Lazuli: Vibrant Blue Gem of Ancients Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Druden may cause dissent by casting aggressive auras or elements of chaos into a home. They hate happy families or peaceful environments, and try to destroy them. Druden are the wicked witches of fairy tales, the prototypical villain or personification of evil. Like shadows these demons enter houses, rooms and dreams. They trigger nightmares, insomnia and illness or anxiety especially related to sleep deprivation. In folklore demon magic can be repulsed by iron, herbs, incantations and inscriptions. See also: German Vampires - Nachzehrer Chamomile - Herbology & Folklore Gold - Precious Metal of the Sun Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Iniquitous magic of Druden can make a person waste away, never knowing what's wrong, and die. If the Drude can be hexed or driven away, the sick person has a chance of survival. Shadow creatures lurking just out of sight, Druden rarely appear in physical form. They can if they want to, for instance to steal something belonging to their target. A personal item or lock of hair can be used in curses and other hostile magic against the victim. In physical state they're vulnerable. See also: Women of the Wild Hunt: Holle, Diana, Frigg Ephedra - Oldest Medical Stimulant Herb Curse of the Evil Eye & Apotropaic Magic Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books As demonic entities Druden may be called up by a sorcerer to exact revenge on a person or an entire village. In ancient times it's common for benevolent gods to call up disease demons to punish disrespectful mortals. Druden can attack for a number of reasons. Rarely do they act out of the fun sport of doing evil. They adhere to the laws of nature and carry out their own demonic work, which happens to be destruction, sickness and death. See also: German House Spirits: Beer Donkey (Bieresel) Hippomancy: Sacred Horse Divination Ancient Egypt Remedies: Ebers Papyrus Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books There are other motives for harassment, including a common one of inadvertently blocking, or opening, a portal of the demon. This often happens when building or renovating. Druden can travel through multiple dimensions and hate having their freedom curtailed. Like the Mare, the Drude rides horses at night. In tradition, braiding a red ribbon in the mane of the horse keeps away the Mare. See also: Zircon - the Primordial Gemstone Stone Age Botai - First Horse People Hippomancy: Sacred Horse Divination Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The Drude is repelled by a Drudenstein, or Drude stone, a pebble with a natural hole. They're also called hag stones. In the stable the Drudenstein protects the horses and other animals. Hung in the bedroom or nursery it keeps nightmares away. Carving a Drudenfuss into a beam or wall helps protect buildings and the humans and other animals who inhabit them. See also: Hags in German Myth & Folklore Rhinestones: Treasures of the Rhine House Spirits of Germanic Mythology Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle As demons the Druden are skilled in the art of possession. They can use mortal energy to do their deeds. Possession can be temporary or chronic. Signs of demonic possession may include anger or emotional outbursts by the possessed person. Other signs may be change to routines, or likes and dislikes; amnesia; sudden change in libido. Ancient Egyptians and Mesopotamians believe evil spirits can enter the body through orifices and / or through hair. In some lore demons can possess a person through sex. Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Seduction is one tactic of the Drude. In dreams the demon may appear as an incubus or succubus figure, a creature reflecting hidden desires or fears of the victim. See also: German Myth - Headless Horseman Castle Frankenstein - Legend & Lore Goats in German Myth: Erntebock & Habergeiß Back to Top