Category Archives: history

Ancient Aliens vs. Good, Hard Work

Posted on February 27, 2015 by

While recovering from recent illness and exhaustion (and under duress by another family member) I wound up watching a couple of episodes of a program designed to convince us that many of the great ancient monuments of the world were … Continue reading →

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Defense Against the Dark Arts: Warding off Witchcraft

Posted on February 18, 2015 by

This month’s Archaeology magazine has some photos from Knole House in Kent showing a series of hatch marks carved into the floor beneath where the protestant King James I would have slept in the early 1600’s.  The marks are intended … Continue reading →

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The Arisia Convention and Interstitial Genders

Posted on February 4, 2015 by

If you have attended a science fiction and fantasy convention lately, especially here on the East Coast, you may have notice a fair number of people wearing pronoun ribbons.  Badge ribbons in general have been quite the rage, usually advertising … Continue reading →

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The Year of the (dead) Goat: astrology and inner Asian sports

Posted on January 28, 2015 by

Chinese Astrology follows a twelve-year cycle of animals who represent the character of the year ahead, and may have an influence over individuals, based on their own astrological animal, (and all kinds of other factors).  The Wall Street Journal welcomed … Continue reading →

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The Bones of the Magi

Posted on December 23, 2014 by

In my Dark Apostle series about medieval medicine and magic, my secret society of witches refers to themselves as “Magi,” (singular:  magus)  from the Persian word for one with knowledge of Oriental magic and astrology (according to my OED).  Interestingly, … Continue reading →

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When Astrology and Astronomy were One

Posted on November 19, 2014 by

One of the areas I did not delve deeply into for the Dark Apostle books was that of astrology. Certainly much of the educated medicine of the 14th century (and for a long time before and after) began with knowing … Continue reading →

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Technology in Medieval Fantasy, thanks to Steampunk

Posted on November 12, 2014 by

I have just returned from the World Fantasy Convention, held this year in Arlington, VA, where I got to hang out with many other authors and readers, sharing our knowledge and celebrating the realm of fantasy writing. One of my … Continue reading →

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