European Mythology

By Carolyn D. Ahrns Copyright © 2001-2006 Haunted Castles and Hotels

Castles history: Deep in the Carpathian Mountains, in the heart of rural Romania is Transylvania, where perched atop a rocky peak, there has been a fortress of some kind for nearly 1,000 years and the fortress that stands here today is now known as ‘Dracula’s Castle’ (the actual Castle Dracula is in ruin on a secluded site near the Arges River). Bran Castle was originally a stronghold built by the Knights of the Teutonic Order in 1212. At that time it was called Dietrichstein. By the late 1200’s the castle had been overtaken by the Saxons who had used the castle to protect Brasov, an important trade center. In 1370 the fortress was used against invading Turks. It remained an important feudal fortress through out the middle ages, its role was the defence against invasion. The castle has four towers, the Powder House Tower is the oldest, it is part of the original castle built in 1212. It houses the Cannon’s Gallery, the Gunner’s Room, and was also where the castles gunpowder was stored. In the 15th century during restoration of the castle the Observation Tower and the Eastern Tower were added. The Eastern Tower was built with murder holes that were used by the soldiers to drop hot water and pitch on the castles attackers.

 In 1622 the Gate Tower was added and the castle’s south wall was strengthened to 11 ft. thickness to withstand cannon fire. In 1921, Queen Maria of Romania, brought the royal court architect to Bran Castle for extensive renovations which transformed this "fortress" into a Royal Residence. The ancient Gunner’s Room became the Royal Chapel, the defense gallery of the tower was remodeled into apartments for the Queen’s ladies in waiting. A fourth floor was added to the tower for the Queen’s Secretary. Queen Maria had an elevator installed in the fountain which is in the interior court. The elevator descended 197 ft. to a tunnel which opened onto the lovely park grounds in the valley below. Bran Castle has been opened to the public for at least 40 years, a museum, it offers glimpses into the past, such as the Chancellor’s Office, the Council Hall and the Garrison Rooms. Also on display are lovely examples of feudal art, weapons, statuary, furniture and hunting trophies...

The discovery of a remarkably well-preserved monumental temple in Turkey — thought to be constructed during the time of King Solomon in the 10th/9th-centuries BCE — sheds light on the so-called Dark Age.Uncovered by the University of Toronto's Tayinat Archaeological Project (TAP) in the summer of 2008, the discovery casts doubt upon the traditional view that the transition from the Late Bronze Age to the Early Iron Age was violent, sudden and culturally disruptive.Ancient sources — such as the Homeric epics and the Hebrew Bible — depict an era of widespread famine, ethnic conflict and population movement, most famously including the migrations of the Sea Peoples (or biblical Philistines) and the Israelites. This is thought to have precipitated a prolonged Dark Age marked by cultural decline and ethnic strife during the early centuries of the Iron Age. But recent discoveries — including the Tayinat excavations — have revealed that some ruling dynasties survived the collapse of the great Bronze Age powers."Our ongoing excavations have not only begun to uncover extensive remains from this Dark Age, but the emerging archaeological picture suggests that during this period Tayinat was the capital of a powerful kingdom, the ‘Land of Palastin’," says Timothy Harrison, professor of Near Eastern Archaeology at the University of Toronto and the director of the project. "Intriguingly, the early Iron Age settlement at Tayinat shows evidence of strong cultural connections, if not the direct presence of foreign settlers, from the Aegean world, the traditional homeland of the Sea Peoples."Excavations uncovered the temple's southern approach, which once faced a broad stone-paved courtyard, and consisted of a monumental staircase and porticoed-entrance, supported by a large, ornately carved basalt column base.In addition, fragments of monumental stelae — stone slabs created for religious or other commemorative purposes — carved in Luwian (an extinct language once spoken in what is now Turkey) hieroglyphic script, were found. They are thought to have once stood on stone platforms in the courtyard."The building’s central room was burned in an intense fire. It was filled with heavily.

Scientists have identified some of the oldest words in the English language, with some such as "I" and "we" dating back tens of thousands of years."Some of the oldest words in English have been identified,scientists say.

Reading University researchers claim "I", "we", "two" and "three" are among the most ancient, dating back tens of thousands of years. Their computer model analyses the rate of change of words in English and the languages that share a common heritage. The team says it can predict which words are likely to become extinct - citing "squeeze", "guts", "stick"and "bad" as probable first casualties. "

View: Full Article | Source: BBC News

Myles Ferguson: Since I was a child my family always talked about the howl of the Banshee. The tales I( heard were often told at family gatherings at Saint Patrick"s day. Often an aunt or uncle would relate to us the story of how the heard a Banshee shriek and the neighbors was found dead the next day. Banshee comes from the Irish words "bean," woman, (ban) and "sidhe," fairy, (shee.) It is said that Banshees come to only those with a strong Celtic lineage. If your last name begins with Mac, Mc or O and your family originates from Ireland this could apply to you. In Irish legend, abanshee wails around a house if someone in the house is about to die.

There are particular families who are believed to have Banshees attached to them, and whose cries herald the death of a member of that family. I grew up in a strong Irish community in New York and the stories of Banshee"s and their activities were heard more then too, to often. Traditionally, when a citizen of an Irish village died, a woman would sing a lament at their funeral. These women singers are sometimes referred to as "keeners". Legend has it that, for five great Gaelic families: the O"Gradys, the O"Neills, the O"Briens, the O"Connors, and the Kavanaghs, the lament would be sung by a fairy woman; having foresight, shewould appear before the death and keen. When several banshees appeared at once, it indicated the death of someone great, powerful of respect and station in life or reknowned. Thestories told to ne sometimes recounted that the woman, though called a fairy, was a ghost, often of a specific murdered woman, or a woman who died in childbirth would or could become a Banshee if she did not recieve a good Catholic burial.

View: Full Article | Source: Haunted America Tours