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The Tree of Forgetfulness: A West African Ritual of the Transatlantic Slave Trade
Along the historic Slave Route in Ouidah, Benin, stands a site associated with one of the most haunting traditions of the transatlantic slave trade. It was known as L’Arbre de l’Oubli—the Tree of Forgetfulness. According to the oral history preserved in Ouidah, captives marching toward the coast were forced to complete a ritual around the…
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Before Trick-or-Treating: The Forgotten Medieval Tradition of Souling
Long before children dressed up in costumes and knocked on their neighbors’ doors for candy, people in parts of Britain had their own Halloween tradition. They went from house to house asking for food in exchange for prayers. The custom became known as souling, and it was particularly associated with Allhallowtide, the period surrounding All…
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What a Day in the Life of a European Royal Servant Actually Looked Like
When we picture a royal palace, we usually picture the people who lived at the top. Kings and queens at elaborate banquets. Nobles in expensive clothes. Musicians playing in grand rooms. Courtiers waiting for their chance to speak to the monarch. But none of it worked without the people who rarely made it into the…
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The Hidden Details in King Tut’s Funerary Mask We Completely Missed
King Tutankhamun’s funerary mask is one of ancient Egypt’s most recognizable objects. The gold face, striped nemes headdress, and inlaid eyes have become almost synonymous with the young pharaoh himself. But the mask may not have been made specifically for Tutankhamun. When researchers look closely at its construction, they find differences in the gold, altered…
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Debunking 7 Popular Myths About Caligula
When we think of Emperor Caligula, the popular image is almost impossible to miss. He was the mad emperor who appointed his horse to the Senate, declared war on the ocean, demanded worship as a god, and spent Rome’s treasury on increasingly bizarre schemes. It is an incredible story. It also comes almost entirely from…