As archaeologists prepare to excavate the remains of Noah's Ark on Mount Ararat, a site believed to be the final resting place of the biblical vessel. The Durupinar Formation, a mysterious boat-shaped formation in the mountains of Ararat, has sparked intense interest among biblical scholars and archaeologists alike. This ancient wonder has been shrouded in mystery for centuries, with many believing it to be the remnants of the ark described in Genesis 6-8.

A waulking song is a traditional song that was sung for a group to keep in sync while rhythmically beating newly-woven fabric on a surface. This motion shrinks the fibers of the fabric, which makes it better at repelling water.

“There would often be 24 of them at one table, singing songs for four to five hours at a time, during which 300-400 yards of cloth would be waulked.” Audio Recording Transcript: “WAULKING THE CLOTH, ” Track ID: 65191, Date: 1961. Source: tobarandualchais.co.uk

This could be done sitting around a table and moving the fabric with your hands, but in some places the fabric was waulked using feet. As they sing, they both beat and move the fabric in a clockwise direction. There is a video you can watch here.

Related to this prac

cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/12600657

Seventeenth-century English antiquarians thought that Stonehenge was built by Celtic Druids. They were relying on the earliest written history they had: Julius Caesar’s narrative of his two unsuccessful invasions of Britain in 54 and 55 BC. Caesar had said the local priests were called Druids. John Aubrey (1626–1697) and William Stukeley (1687–1765) cemented the Stonehenge/Druid connection, while self-styled bard Edward Williams (1747–1826), who changed his name to Iolo Morganwg, invented “authentic” Druidic rituals.

Druidism has come a long way since. In 2010, The Druid Network was listed as a charity in England and Wales, essentially marking the official recognition of Druidism as a religion. (74,000 called themselves Druids in a recent census.) Historian Carole M. Cusack positi

cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/10662845 When Britain was gripped by 'fairy mania'

"Fairycore" may be trending on social media today but 100 years ago supernatural sprites were a national obsession. Holly Williams explores fairy fever.

Imagine a fairy. Is the picture that appears in your mind's eye a tiny, pretty, magical figure – a childish wisp with insect-like wings and a dress made of petals?

If so, it's likely you've been influenced by Cicely Mary Barker, the British illustrator who created the Flower Fairies. 2023 marks 100 years since the publication of her first book of poems and pictures, Flower Fairies of the Spring – an anniversary currently being celebrated in an exhibition at the Lady Lever Gallery in Merseyside, UK.

The Flower Fairies' influence has endured: they have never been out of print, and continue to be popular around the world – big in Japan and in Italy, where Gucci released a children's range featuring Barker's prints in 2022. Billie Eilish r

cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/9405067

More than 30 Greek and Roman writers from around 200 BCE to the 4th century CE were fascinated by this enigmatic group of ritualists. There has been a lot of controversy concerning the veracity of these ancient authors and their plagiarism or recycling of ‘facts’ about the Druids. However, I do have faith in one: Julius Caesar. He was in Gaul for nearly 10 years in the 50s BCE, leading the war of Roman conquest and so he knew the region personally rather than relying on secondhand information. And, because he was writing his chronicle for scrutiny by the Senate in Rome, it is doubtful whether he would have got away with fanciful imaginings because they could have been contradicted by his fellow officers.

Caesar seems to have had quite intimate knowledge of Druidism, gained – at least in part – from his close friendship with a Druid named Diviciacus, who was also the ruler of a prominent Gallic tribe in eastern Gaul, the Aedui, an

As a Tolkien fan, I found myself exploring some of his writings outside of Middle-earth. One of the stories I really like is his version of the Sigurd story from the Volsung Saga, called The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrún. One mini-story within the greater one is the story of Sigurd and his fight with a dragon named Fáfnir, and that is what the link in this post is focused on. There's a lot more going on in the story than just what you are presented with in this snippet, but it's still a fun snippet to share that was written by someone that obviously enjoyed the story.

Much like the Camelot map that I just posted, this is another that I found and printed a copy of to keep nearby while reading some Malory.

I'm reading Le Morte D'Arthur right now and went looking for some maps to help put things in context. Here's the map of Camelot that I ended up printing off a copy of to keep handy.

One of the many versions of this myth!

I really like ancient Egypt.

This is one of my favorite myths.

The second part of the myth of Eros and Psyche.

I found this great video of the myth of Eros and Psyche. A very fascinating myth.

A fascinating analysis of the themes and motifs common to the mythologies and oral traditions of a variety of ancient cultures. Campbell delves into mythology in search of some perennial or fundamental truth.

I read 'The Iliad,' 'The Oddysey,' and 'Beowulf' when I was in high school. Followed by parts of 'Inferno' and 'Cantebury Tales.' In college when studying Japanese, I read 'The Tale of Genji.'

The long form of 'sagas,' whether in poetic or prose form, pull me in. What are some long-form myths and tales you enjoy?

Conceptualizing time and the spiritual realm has always been made easier for me with visuals. 'The Evolutionary Tree of Religion (Faith, Myths, & Mysticism) v2' by Simon E. Davies is probably my favorite way to explore how humans perceive the supernatural.

Here's a fun, ten-minute video from PBS Digital Studios and hosted by Dr. Moiya McTier & Dr. Emily Zarka that discusses trees, especially World Trees (or Great Trees) as seen in so many mythologies, and their prevalence in ancient stories. From Baobab trees to Yggdrasil.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Txy-3IpFz8M

I'm currently reading the Third Edition of Rosenberg's World Mythology, which is what I referenced when writing the Enuma Elish summary before. For anyone wanting to read more of her work, the Second Edition of her book is available online free and has a ton of great content:

https://archive.org/details/worldmythologyan0000rose

Here's a quick synopsis based on some notes that I jotted down as I was looking over a version of the Enuma Elish that was written in Donna Rosenberg's World Mythology textbook.

What is the Enuma Elish? Great question! It's an ancient creation story, dating back to the Babylonians in Mesopotamia, perhaps reaching as far back as 2000 BCE.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/En%C5%ABma_Eli%C5%A1

Everything interesting about this is a credit to Rosenberg's work and to the Babylonian people that documented the stories on clay tablets so long ago, and everything wrong with it is undoubtedly down to my own poor comprehension. Enjoy!

The Enuma elish

Apsu and Tiamat, the fresh- and saltwater primordial gods that existed before all else, have a mist-baby named Mummu. Two more gods form in the mix of salt and fresh water, notably not referred to as children of Apsu and Tiamat, nor as siblings to each other, but it seems implied. These two are Anshar (male) and Kishar (female). Anshar and Kishar

Greetings all, and welcome to the Mythology board! I have recently embarked on an adventure through early Mesopotamian mythology, and intend to keep exploring more cultures moving forward through history. With that in mind, this space is meant to be a fun and open community for people to chat about their favorite mythologies, share what they have learned, ask questions, and hopefully we can all learn and experience the magic, myths, and legends from the many cultures that came before us.