Recent Posts
Large hailstones killed livestock and pierced through corrugated iron roofs
Hailstorms have historically demonstrated their capacity to wreak havoc, transcending borders and challenging the resilience of both man-made structures and the natural world. A notable…
Divine Offerings: Exploring the Ancient Art of Libation in Pre-Christian Cultures
Libation, a ritual pouring out of a liquid or grains such as barley in honor of a deity, is an ancient practice that predates Christianity…
Indian names of towns and their meanings
The following article, sourced from an 1894 edition of the Arizona Republican, delves into the etymological roots of various American town and city names, tracing…
All About Hypnos, the Greek God of Sleep
Hypnos is a fascinating figure from Greek mythology, known as the personification of sleep. He is a primordial deity, emerging from the chaos of the…
1913 Instructions on How to Protect Self From Psychic Vampires
Published in a New Jersey newspaper, 1913, the following article details how to ward off psychic and emotional vampires. The advice is spot-on for self-protection…
Origin and History of Hocus Pocus
The phrase “hocus pocus” is famously associated with magic and illusion, often used by magicians before performing a trick. However, its origin is somewhat mysterious,…
Chemist detective finds many clues on headless body
Described at the Sherlock Holmes of Paris, a chemist studies clues left on a headless body to help determine facts about the murder. There were…
Parents soak children’s beds in gasoline and set them on fire, father survived
A horrifying news report published in 1921 tells us that a wife and husband decided to kill themselves and their four children to keep the…
Young woman upset after discovering her boyfriend is actually another young woman
From 1921, we find yet another article about a woman presenting as a man and courting another woman. In this case, as in many others,…
Librarians mystified by lines of people visiting to read the dictionary
Long before the internet, there were dictionaries and encyclopedia sets. In 1921, librarians at the New York Library were stunned when lines of people formed…
