Tag Archives: marco polo

Bearing Gifts We Traverse Afar

Posted on January 7, 2017 by Nathan

Today is Epiphany or Three Kings Day (although it might not be anymore by the time I’ve finished this post, at least not in this time zone), the celebration of the wise men bringing gifts to the baby Jesus. Well, … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Authors, Catholicism, Christianity, Christmas, Christopher Moore, Eastern Orthodox, Holidays, Magic, Mythology, Prejudice, Religion, Zoroastrianism | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

What’s a Pound of Flesh Among Friends?

Posted on September 13, 2014 by Nathan

The Serpent of Venice, by Christopher Moore – Moore’s latest novel is a follow-up to his earlier Fool, a take on Shakespeare’s King Lear. This one combines elements of two plays, The Merchant of Venice and Othello, both of which … Continue reading →

Posted in Authors, Book Reviews, Christopher Moore, William Shakespeare | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

It’s a Round, Round World

Posted on April 28, 2014 by Nathan

Thanks to Erin Ptah, I recently found out about the ostrich egg globe that was discovered by an Austrian collector. Dated to around 1504, it appears that the halves of the egg were cast separately, then glued together. It’s quite … Continue reading →

Posted in Age of Exploration, History, Maps | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Head of the Dog That Bit You

Posted on March 2, 2014 by Nathan

The cynocephalus is a rather fancy name (or at least it sounds that way in English) for a rather simple concept, which is a person with the head of a dog. This is a theme that shows up quite frequently … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Art, Christianity, Eastern Orthodox, Egyptian, Greek Mythology, Mythology, Religion, Sesame Street, Television | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

A Miracle of Rare Device

Posted on October 26, 2013 by Nathan

As I mentioned in my post on the book, the Ancient Mariner from The Pearl and the Pumpkin was originally a character from Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. In the story, it’s the schoolmaster who … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Authors, Dirk Gently, Douglas Adams, Dreams, Poetry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments