Category: EUROPE
AUSTRIA | SOUTH TYROL: On Saint Nicholas and the Krampus in Tyrol
Saint Nicholas with his long white beard, bishop’s miter and crosier rewards the well-behaved with gifts each year on 6th December. His scary counterpart Krampus wears fur, horns and a hand-carved mask with a lolling tongue, he comes to warn and punish naughty children (and adults). Discover Saint Nicholas and the Krampus in Tyrol.
ITALY: Frozen in Ice – The curse of the Iceman – Ötzi
The Iceman — Ötzi, the Glacier Mummy is forever sleeping in a big refrigerator. The frozen mummy is stored in a specially devised cold cell, chilled to a glacial minus 6.5 degrees Celsius, or 20.3 degrees Fahrenheit, and 99% humidity. We can see him through a small window in the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology…
TIMELINE: A story of cacao/cocoa and chocolate
The story of how cocoa and chocolate was first discovered and then spread to all of the major countries on Earth is a fascinating tale that includes mythology, romance, politics, slavery, intrigue, heroics, deceit, greed, war and innovation. Discover the story of cacao/cocoa and chocolate. Cacao and chocolate is intricately intertwined with history: “kings and…
ITALY | TYROL : Walter von der Vogelweide the Minnesinger of Bolzano
First thing you see when you arrive at the center of Bolzano is the monument in memory of the great poet Walther von der Vogelweide, the Minnesinger of Bolzano. He was a Minnesinger that probably lived in South Tyrol in Northern Italy around the year 1200.
ITALY | TYROL : The Legend of King Laurins Rose Garden
At sunset, the Dolomite mountains light up in fiery red, turning to purple before fading into the night: this is the Alpenglühen, riverbero rossiccio, enrosadira or Alpenglow, a phenomenon whose origins are deeply rooted in legend. The Legend of King Laurins Rose Garden talks about why the mountains are sometimes glowing red and orange.
ITALY | TYROL : The Legend of the Pale Mountains, the Dolomites
Dolomites beauty derives from a variety of spectacular vertical forms such as pinnacles, spires and towers, with contrasting horizontal surfaces including ledges, crags and plateaus. They rise abruptly above extensive talus deposits and more gentle foothills. Countless legends have grown up in the shadow of these pale mountains, inspired by observation of the natural landscape…
UK | SCOTLAND: Myth and Folklore of the Monster of Loch Ness
Deep in the depths of a lake in Scotland called Loch Ness, lives a mystery. It is a creature that hundreds of people claim to have seen. Some believe it’s a large dinosaur-like creature with a long neck and flippers, a gigantic snake, or a dragon, others imagine it is simply a large catfish or…
DENMARK : FAIRY TALE The little Mermaid – H. C. Andersen
The Little Mermaid, or “Den lille havfrue” is one of the most famous fairy tales by the Danish author, Hans Christian Andersen. With Illustrations by Vilhelm Pedersen, Helen Stratton, Edmund Dulac, Kay Nielsen, Boris Diodorov, Louis Rhead, Dugald Stewart Walker, Robinson W. Heath, Arthur Rackham and Harry Clarke.
CYPRUS: TREELORE – Trees associated with Aphrodite on Cyprus
Aphrodite was the Olympian goddess of love, beauty, pleasure and procreation. Several trees are associated with Aphrodite on Cyprus. So the pomegranate, the myrtle and the apple tree. Discover their treelore and mythology.
CYPRUS: Myth and Cult of Aphrodite on Cyprus
Myth has it that Aphrodite, the Olympian goddess of love, beauty, pleasure and procreation, arose from the sea foam on the south-western coast of Cyprus. References in ancient authors and archaeological evidence may prove that Aphrodite and her cult originated in Cyprus. What is certain is that throughout antiquity Aphrodite was worshiped on Cyprus. There…