In folklore, animals are depicted as messengers, symbols, or omens. Many of these stories are similar in cultures throughout millennia and feature folk beliefs brought on by fear of death, illness, and the unexplained. The animals mostly related to symbols or omens of death are scavengers, nocturnal, or associated with negative events. "So generally, in folklore, animals that are associated with death are the ones that are omens of death," says Sabina Magliocco, a folklorist and professor of an ...read more
Ancient Greeks knew that death was the final door they had to cross. After a burial in the Earth, water carried deceased mortals into Hades, the realm of the Underworld. They spent the rest of their existence there until they were ultimately forgotten.The Greeks’ idea of Hades and what it looked like constantly evolved over time, but one thing was certain: Once you were dead, you could not cross back into the living (and vice versa). The guardian of these barriers between life and the afterlif ...read more
While wooden stakes, sunlight that burns and bats come to mind when you think of vampires, you probably wouldn't think of a padlock and scythe. But the findings of an alleged "vampire" in Poland shows there was some paranoia around the paranormal. The remains of a 17th-century woman with a scythe across her neck and a padlock clamped on her toe indicate she may have been accused of being a witch or a vampire. She was buried with these precautions to ensure that she, the ghost or spirit of this ...read more
Breast cancer is one of the world’s most prevalent types of cancer worldwide. It is a tumor that starts in the milk ducts of the breast and then spreads into the surrounding breast tissue and, sometimes, other parts of the body.About 98 percent of women who are diagnosed with breast cancer at stage 1 will live another five years and more, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But just an estimated 25 percent of women survive if their cancer is diagnosed when it’s alrea ...read more
Mining resources from our planet can take a devastating toll on the environment, both local and global. Even beyond this, using the resource could cause disastrous effects to our planet and dependence on a single resource can wreak havoc on a country's economy. Yet, many of these resources are needed for our daily life -- sometimes as a luxury, sometimes as a necessity. Any responsible country or company should always take pause to consider what impact mining of any kind can have on the planet.I ...read more
Author Vishay SinghPosted on Categories Discover Magazine