Charlotte
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Montezuma II
Montezuma II, also seen as Moctezuma, was the ninth Aztec emperor of Mexico who is best known for his confrontation with Hernan Cortez. Most information on Montezuma revolves around his befriending and eventual betrayal by Cortez, which some believe is the reason that the Aztec empire fell only 2 years after thier chance meeting. What is more interesting about Montezuma though is his lifestyle outside of his kingly duties. Living in a palace in the capital city of Tenochtitlan (modern day Mexico City), Montezuma enjoyed a lavish lifestyle that rivaled that of Rome. The palace itself was not only enormous, it was decorated with hanging gardens, weapons embellished with gold…
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Curtana
The Curtana in one of the 3 original swords used in the coronation of British monarchs, 5 swords are in use today. Also referred to as Cortana or the Sword of Mercy, the Curtana was first used in 1236 for the coronation of Eleanor of Province, wife and queen of Henry III and in every coronation since. A sword of this age is rare as it survived the reign of Oliver Cromwell who ordered all ancient artifacts be melted for their gold and metal. The end of the Sword of Mercy, which was once pointed, is now blunt and squared. The edged tip is said to symbolize mercy but legend…
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Werewolf of Alleriz
Lycanthropy is a mental disorder where a person believes that have the ability to turn into animals, in most cases the animal is a werewolf but can range anywhere from a hyena to a bear. This is exactly what occurred in the first recorded serial killer case in Spain, his name was Manuel Blanco Romasanta, or better known as the Werewolf of Allariz. Most of Manuel’s life is not documented as he led a fairly average life up until the murders began but what is known shows a man who had a troubled past. Manuel was born on November 18, 1809 in Regueiro, a small village in the Ourense Province…
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Frankenstein
The origins began on a cold, rainy evening in Geneva while Mary Shelley, her not yet husband Percy Shelley, Lord Byron, and John Polidori sat around a fire sharing old German ghost stories. As a dare, the four writers embarked on a journey of self-discovery to create the most horrifying story that their minds could imagine. And so, in 1816 Mary Shelley began her work that would one day be known to all the world. The book “Frankenstein” was first published in 1818 as an anonymous author, it wouldn’t be for another 5 years that Mary Shelley’s name would be associated with the work. A new discovery about the creative…
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TED BUNDY
Theodore Robert Bundy was born November 24th 1946. His mother, Eleanor Cowell, was 22 and single and back in the 40’s this was not an accepted thing to be. Eleanor gave birth to little baby Ted at a home for unmarried mothers in Burlington, Vermont, but the two quickly moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvia soon in order for her parents to take him on as an ‘adopted’ son and that his mother would be his sister. Some experts on Bundy have stated that Bundy did not learn that the sister he grew up with was his mother until he was in high school. It has been said that Eleanor’s father was…
