Missing But Not Lost by Jodee Redmond (best novel books to read txt) π
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A collection of stories of ghosts and hauntings, mysterious places and strange creatures.
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word which means "knowing the oak tree". It refers to the fact that ceremonies were conducted in wooded areas by priests wearing white robes. They worshiped several gods and goddesses and practised both animal and human sacrifice.
Burial Ground?
Archaeologists have put forward the theory that Stonehenge was a ceremonial burial ground. Cremated remains have been found in many of the Aubrey Holes; the holes were dug before the cremations would have taken place,though.
The Aubrey Holes may have originally been dug for the purpose of making a liquid offering to the gods of nature (ritual libations). The stone circles were, therefore, a kind of temple.
The discovery of cremated remains at the site would seem to indicate that funerals were performed there. The Aubrey Holes may have represented portals to the Underworld.
Observatory or Ancient Calendar?
Another theory is that Stonehenge was a type of observatory, but it could also have been used to chart celestial movements for a basic calendar or for religious purposes.
The stones are aligned in such as way as to provide sight lines for the sun and the moon on certain dates; most notably, the summer and winter solstices. The 30 Y and 29 Z Holes may have been used by priests to count alternate months.
British author John Mitchell has suggested that Stonehenge was "a cosmic temple dedicated to all twelve gods of the zodiac. It represents the ideal cosmology, the perfect and complete image of the universe".
And that seems as good an explanation as any for this feat of engineering and construction that continues to fascinate us to this day.
Stonehenge β A Place of Healing?
New Theory About this Mysterious Place
A British professor of Archaeology shares his theory about the purpose of Stonehenge.
The Head of the Archaeology Group at Bournemouth University, Professor Timothy Darvill, has put forward the theory that Stonehenge was a place of healing and not a place of death.
Professor Darvill and Professor Geoffrey Wainwright have been able to determine exactly where the bluestones used to build Stonehenge came from. Darvill and Wainwright's research focused on why the Presli Mountains were so important to the people who lived at that time.
In forming this new theory, Darvill points to legends about a wizard transporting the stones to Salisbury Plain from western Britain. The bluestones were thought to have healing properties; fresh-water springs found in the same location as the bluestones were considered sacred. As recently as the 18th century, people traveled to Stonehenge for the purpose of breaking off a piece of rock to be used as a good-luck object.
Further evidence of Stonehenge as a place of healing is taken from the excavation of some of the burial sites found nearby. A number of the remains studied show evidence of the deceased person having some type of physical deformity or evidence of an injury, such as a fracture. These people may have come to Stonehenge to seek healing.
While Stonehenge could very well have been a place where pilgrims sought to be delivered from various physical complaints, one wonders if any of them were able to achieve the result they wanted so badly.
Easter Island: Home of the Giant Statues
Here is a theory about why the giant statues were constructed.
Easter Island has been described as one of the loneliest places on Earth. Measuring a mere 16 miles in length, it lies approximately 1200 miles (2,000 km) from its closest neighbor. It is also home to more than 600 enormous stone statues, some of which are 30 feet (9 m) in height.
Discovered by Dutch sailors on Easter Sunday in the year 1722 (hence the name), the Island was home to approximately 3,000 inhabitants at one point. By the late 1800's, the native population had died out as a result of famine and civil war.
The Islanders didn't have a written language as such; several wooden tablets engraved with pictographs have been discovered. This has made it very difficult to learn much about those who settled on the Island.
The Statues
Easter Island is home to two different types of statues carved from volcanic rock. The earliest versions date from around 380 AD. Around the year 1100 AD, the statues that most people associate with Easter Island were constructed. Known as the moai, they have the form of a male figure's upper body, inlaid eyes, and distinctive, elongated earlobes. They were mounted on stone platforms, called the ahu. Up to a dozen moai were mounted on a single ahu. Over time, even larger statues with a red topknot (a pukao) were constructed.
Why Build the Moai?
It is thought that the ahu were used as funeral platforms. The deceased was placed on the ahu and left to the birds and the elements (similar to a Tibetan sky burial) until only bones remained. Family members buried the bones inside the ahu; after the burial, a feast honoring the person who had passed was held.
The theory continues that the moai were constructed for two purposes: to honor the dead and as a symbol of the family's prosperity and strength.
Part IV: General
Friday the 13th: Bad Omen or Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
Why is Friday the 13th considered unlucky?
Friday the 13th is considered unlucky in a number of cultures, including English, Portuguese, and German. Some people develop a phobia associated with Friday the 13th (paraskavedekatriaphobia). These people may be so paralyzed with fear that they are unable to get out of bed on that day. Where did the notion that Friday and/or the number 13 are unlucky come from?
Unlucky Friday
In the Christian faith, Jesus was crucified and died on Good Friday. This is not the only instance in which Friday was a day when tragic events occurred. Adam and Eve ate the apple from the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden on a Friday. The Great Flood that Noah and his family members survived by building an ark started on a Friday. The Temple of Solomon was also destroyed on a Friday.
Friday as a Holy Day
Another explanation for Friday being considered an unlucky day may be that some pre-Christian cultures considered Fridays to be holy days. The name "Friday" is a derivative of the name of a Norse god of marriage and fertility. For this reason, Friday was considered to be a good day for weddings.
As time went on, the Norse god was transformed into a witch. The witch was said to be accompanied by a sacred cat, which may explain the connection between witches and cats that exists in folklore to this day. The legend about black cats being a bringer of bad luck may have originated here as well.
A Brief History of Hallowe'en
A Holiday Dating from the Time Before Christianity
Hallowe'en is celebrated on the evening of October 31, the day before All Saints Day. The history of this holiday goes back to the time before Christianity. Hallowe'en is celebrated on the evening of October 31, the day before All Saints Day. The history of this holiday goes back to the time before Christianity.
Hallowe'en was originally observed by the Celts, who lived in what is now Great Britain and the northern part of France. In addition to worshipping a Sun god, these people also revered Samhain, who was the god of the dead and associated with the long, cold winter months. On October 31, Samhain would call forth those who had died; they would assume the form of an animal.
It was believed that on the night of October 31, the boundaries between the worlds of the living and that of the dead became blurred. The ghosts of the dearly departed walked the Earth, damaging crops and generally causing trouble. The presence of spirits was thought to make it easier for Druid priests to make predictions about the future.
Sacred bonfires were lit and both crops and animals were sacrificed to the gods. Costumes made from animal heads and skins were worn during the celebrations. At the conclusion of the festivities, the people re-lit their hearth fires from the sacred bonfires β a way to help protect them during the long, cold winter.
November 1 was the start of the new year, marking the end of the summer and the harvest and the beginning of the winter, a time associated with death.
Eventually, Christianity spread to the lands inhabited by the Celts. November 1 was designated as All Saints Day by Pope Boniface IV in the seventh century, possibly to replace the earlier celebrations with a Church-sanctioned one.
This new religious holiday was referred to as All-hallows or All-hallowmas and the night before came to be known as All-hallows Eve, which eventually evolved into Hallowe'en.
The Origin of the Jack-O'-Lantern
Do you know the legend behind this familiar Hallowe'en tradition?
The Jack-O'-Lantern was brought to North America by Irish immigrants. According to the legend, Jack was a mean, miserly drunk. Jack was smart enough, however, to entice the Devil into climbing an apple tree so he could help himself to the juicy apples near its top.
As soon as the Devil climbed the tree, Jack cut a sign of the cross into the tree, thus preventing the Devil from climbing down again. Jack then extracted promise from the Devil that he would never try to take Jack's soul.
When Jack died, he tried to get into Heaven but he was turned away because he had been such a mean drunk during his lifetime. Jack then went to the gates of Hell, looking for a place where he could spend all eternity. True to his word, the Devil refused him entry.
Jack asked the Devil where he was to supposed to go now. The answer he received was, βBack where you came from!β Since it was a dark night and Jack had a long journey ahead of him, the Devil gave Jack a lit coal from the fires of Hell.
Jack took the coal and put it inside a turnip, which he was carrying at the time. He used this unusual lantern to help him find his way.
Ever since that day, poor Jack has been doomed to roam the Earth, searching in vain for a place to rest.
Children in Ireland carved potatoes and turnips to make lanterns to be used on Hallowe'en night. When large numbers of Irish immigrants settled in America as a result of the Irish Potato Famine (1845-1850), they started using pumpkins for this purpose and so our familiar Hallowe'en tradition of the Jack-O'-Lantern came into existence.
Hallowe'en Traditions Explained
Why do we go trick-or-treating, bob for apples, and wear masks on October 31?
Hallowe'en has its roots in ancient times and is still celebrated in many of the world's countries. It is observed in various forms in the United Kingdom, Mexico, Spain, Canada, and the United States.
In North America, Hallowe'en is time for children to dress up in costumes and go trick-or treating. Some of us go to costume parties or dances to celebrate this festival. But where did the custom of trick-or-treating start? The idea of going door-to-door and being given food was actually a part of more than one ancient practise.
During the long-ago celebration of Samhain, it was believed that the dead actually had the ability to play trick on the living and generally cause all kinds of mayhem. In an effort to appease these restless spirits, area residents would give food items to Druid priests, who would go house to house to collect it.
The concept of bobbing for apples
Burial Ground?
Archaeologists have put forward the theory that Stonehenge was a ceremonial burial ground. Cremated remains have been found in many of the Aubrey Holes; the holes were dug before the cremations would have taken place,though.
The Aubrey Holes may have originally been dug for the purpose of making a liquid offering to the gods of nature (ritual libations). The stone circles were, therefore, a kind of temple.
The discovery of cremated remains at the site would seem to indicate that funerals were performed there. The Aubrey Holes may have represented portals to the Underworld.
Observatory or Ancient Calendar?
Another theory is that Stonehenge was a type of observatory, but it could also have been used to chart celestial movements for a basic calendar or for religious purposes.
The stones are aligned in such as way as to provide sight lines for the sun and the moon on certain dates; most notably, the summer and winter solstices. The 30 Y and 29 Z Holes may have been used by priests to count alternate months.
British author John Mitchell has suggested that Stonehenge was "a cosmic temple dedicated to all twelve gods of the zodiac. It represents the ideal cosmology, the perfect and complete image of the universe".
And that seems as good an explanation as any for this feat of engineering and construction that continues to fascinate us to this day.
Stonehenge β A Place of Healing?
New Theory About this Mysterious Place
A British professor of Archaeology shares his theory about the purpose of Stonehenge.
The Head of the Archaeology Group at Bournemouth University, Professor Timothy Darvill, has put forward the theory that Stonehenge was a place of healing and not a place of death.
Professor Darvill and Professor Geoffrey Wainwright have been able to determine exactly where the bluestones used to build Stonehenge came from. Darvill and Wainwright's research focused on why the Presli Mountains were so important to the people who lived at that time.
In forming this new theory, Darvill points to legends about a wizard transporting the stones to Salisbury Plain from western Britain. The bluestones were thought to have healing properties; fresh-water springs found in the same location as the bluestones were considered sacred. As recently as the 18th century, people traveled to Stonehenge for the purpose of breaking off a piece of rock to be used as a good-luck object.
Further evidence of Stonehenge as a place of healing is taken from the excavation of some of the burial sites found nearby. A number of the remains studied show evidence of the deceased person having some type of physical deformity or evidence of an injury, such as a fracture. These people may have come to Stonehenge to seek healing.
While Stonehenge could very well have been a place where pilgrims sought to be delivered from various physical complaints, one wonders if any of them were able to achieve the result they wanted so badly.
Easter Island: Home of the Giant Statues
Here is a theory about why the giant statues were constructed.
Easter Island has been described as one of the loneliest places on Earth. Measuring a mere 16 miles in length, it lies approximately 1200 miles (2,000 km) from its closest neighbor. It is also home to more than 600 enormous stone statues, some of which are 30 feet (9 m) in height.
Discovered by Dutch sailors on Easter Sunday in the year 1722 (hence the name), the Island was home to approximately 3,000 inhabitants at one point. By the late 1800's, the native population had died out as a result of famine and civil war.
The Islanders didn't have a written language as such; several wooden tablets engraved with pictographs have been discovered. This has made it very difficult to learn much about those who settled on the Island.
The Statues
Easter Island is home to two different types of statues carved from volcanic rock. The earliest versions date from around 380 AD. Around the year 1100 AD, the statues that most people associate with Easter Island were constructed. Known as the moai, they have the form of a male figure's upper body, inlaid eyes, and distinctive, elongated earlobes. They were mounted on stone platforms, called the ahu. Up to a dozen moai were mounted on a single ahu. Over time, even larger statues with a red topknot (a pukao) were constructed.
Why Build the Moai?
It is thought that the ahu were used as funeral platforms. The deceased was placed on the ahu and left to the birds and the elements (similar to a Tibetan sky burial) until only bones remained. Family members buried the bones inside the ahu; after the burial, a feast honoring the person who had passed was held.
The theory continues that the moai were constructed for two purposes: to honor the dead and as a symbol of the family's prosperity and strength.
Part IV: General
Friday the 13th: Bad Omen or Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
Why is Friday the 13th considered unlucky?
Friday the 13th is considered unlucky in a number of cultures, including English, Portuguese, and German. Some people develop a phobia associated with Friday the 13th (paraskavedekatriaphobia). These people may be so paralyzed with fear that they are unable to get out of bed on that day. Where did the notion that Friday and/or the number 13 are unlucky come from?
Unlucky Friday
In the Christian faith, Jesus was crucified and died on Good Friday. This is not the only instance in which Friday was a day when tragic events occurred. Adam and Eve ate the apple from the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden on a Friday. The Great Flood that Noah and his family members survived by building an ark started on a Friday. The Temple of Solomon was also destroyed on a Friday.
Friday as a Holy Day
Another explanation for Friday being considered an unlucky day may be that some pre-Christian cultures considered Fridays to be holy days. The name "Friday" is a derivative of the name of a Norse god of marriage and fertility. For this reason, Friday was considered to be a good day for weddings.
As time went on, the Norse god was transformed into a witch. The witch was said to be accompanied by a sacred cat, which may explain the connection between witches and cats that exists in folklore to this day. The legend about black cats being a bringer of bad luck may have originated here as well.
A Brief History of Hallowe'en
A Holiday Dating from the Time Before Christianity
Hallowe'en is celebrated on the evening of October 31, the day before All Saints Day. The history of this holiday goes back to the time before Christianity. Hallowe'en is celebrated on the evening of October 31, the day before All Saints Day. The history of this holiday goes back to the time before Christianity.
Hallowe'en was originally observed by the Celts, who lived in what is now Great Britain and the northern part of France. In addition to worshipping a Sun god, these people also revered Samhain, who was the god of the dead and associated with the long, cold winter months. On October 31, Samhain would call forth those who had died; they would assume the form of an animal.
It was believed that on the night of October 31, the boundaries between the worlds of the living and that of the dead became blurred. The ghosts of the dearly departed walked the Earth, damaging crops and generally causing trouble. The presence of spirits was thought to make it easier for Druid priests to make predictions about the future.
Sacred bonfires were lit and both crops and animals were sacrificed to the gods. Costumes made from animal heads and skins were worn during the celebrations. At the conclusion of the festivities, the people re-lit their hearth fires from the sacred bonfires β a way to help protect them during the long, cold winter.
November 1 was the start of the new year, marking the end of the summer and the harvest and the beginning of the winter, a time associated with death.
Eventually, Christianity spread to the lands inhabited by the Celts. November 1 was designated as All Saints Day by Pope Boniface IV in the seventh century, possibly to replace the earlier celebrations with a Church-sanctioned one.
This new religious holiday was referred to as All-hallows or All-hallowmas and the night before came to be known as All-hallows Eve, which eventually evolved into Hallowe'en.
The Origin of the Jack-O'-Lantern
Do you know the legend behind this familiar Hallowe'en tradition?
The Jack-O'-Lantern was brought to North America by Irish immigrants. According to the legend, Jack was a mean, miserly drunk. Jack was smart enough, however, to entice the Devil into climbing an apple tree so he could help himself to the juicy apples near its top.
As soon as the Devil climbed the tree, Jack cut a sign of the cross into the tree, thus preventing the Devil from climbing down again. Jack then extracted promise from the Devil that he would never try to take Jack's soul.
When Jack died, he tried to get into Heaven but he was turned away because he had been such a mean drunk during his lifetime. Jack then went to the gates of Hell, looking for a place where he could spend all eternity. True to his word, the Devil refused him entry.
Jack asked the Devil where he was to supposed to go now. The answer he received was, βBack where you came from!β Since it was a dark night and Jack had a long journey ahead of him, the Devil gave Jack a lit coal from the fires of Hell.
Jack took the coal and put it inside a turnip, which he was carrying at the time. He used this unusual lantern to help him find his way.
Ever since that day, poor Jack has been doomed to roam the Earth, searching in vain for a place to rest.
Children in Ireland carved potatoes and turnips to make lanterns to be used on Hallowe'en night. When large numbers of Irish immigrants settled in America as a result of the Irish Potato Famine (1845-1850), they started using pumpkins for this purpose and so our familiar Hallowe'en tradition of the Jack-O'-Lantern came into existence.
Hallowe'en Traditions Explained
Why do we go trick-or-treating, bob for apples, and wear masks on October 31?
Hallowe'en has its roots in ancient times and is still celebrated in many of the world's countries. It is observed in various forms in the United Kingdom, Mexico, Spain, Canada, and the United States.
In North America, Hallowe'en is time for children to dress up in costumes and go trick-or treating. Some of us go to costume parties or dances to celebrate this festival. But where did the custom of trick-or-treating start? The idea of going door-to-door and being given food was actually a part of more than one ancient practise.
During the long-ago celebration of Samhain, it was believed that the dead actually had the ability to play trick on the living and generally cause all kinds of mayhem. In an effort to appease these restless spirits, area residents would give food items to Druid priests, who would go house to house to collect it.
The concept of bobbing for apples
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