Authors
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Robert the Bruce
Born on 11 July 1274, Robert de Brus was the heir apparent to the Lordship of Annandale, through his grandfather, the 5th Lord, and his father, the 6th Lord. The Lordship of Annandale were established in 1124 by David Fitzmalcolm, when he was named King David I of Scotland, to Robert de Brus, who was a member of the King’s retinue. Originating in the Brix region of France, the de Brus’ were related to William Longsword, Great Great grandfather of William, Duke of Normandy. The Lordship included several lands through England, and Scotland with the seat being in the central border region of what is now Dumfries and Galloway. Robert…
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Dragons
The dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that features in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern mythologies, and the Chinese dragon, with counterparts in Japan (namely the Japanese dragon), Korea and other East Asian countries. The two traditions may have evolved separately, but have influenced each other to a certain extent, particularly with the cross-cultural contact of recent centuries. The English word “dragon” derives from Greek (drákōn), meaning “dragon, serpent of huge size, water-snake”. The association of the serpent with a monstrous…
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The Tornado that created the Mayo Clinic
Oppressive heat, dense air and a quiet stillness of life filled the citizens of Rochester, Minnesota with dread during the day of August 21, 1883. Conditions in town had turned for the worse by the evening when the skies had turned to black and sudden gale force winds whipped across the land. These are all the markings of an impending tornado. A small tornado formed in another area of Minnesota earlier in the day, but it was a much larger tornado that touched down at 6:30 P.M. that was the cause of the most concern as it was moving northeast, directly towards Rochester. At a mile wide, this F5 tornado…
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Cats within History
Through history animals have featured quite heavily for a variety of reasons. From the domestication of livestock circa 15,000 years ago towards the end of the last glacial period, when the nomadic hunter-gatherer tribes settled to become sedentary agriculturalists, to the varied domestic pets we know and love today. I felt that a study of cats and their place in history might appeal to both the cat lovers amongst us, and those who have a deeper interest in the legends, purposes and myths that go hand in hand with the mysterious moggy. The first ancestors of the modern cat (Proailurus) appeared around 30 million years ago, although the group that…
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THE MURDER OF KING RUFUS (WILLIAM II OF ENGLAND)
William was born in 1056, the third son of William the Conqueror, he was more commonly referred to as William the Red or William Rufus due to his rugged red appearance. He was never married nor did he have any children, legitimate or otherwise. When William I died in 1087 he left his title and lands in Normandy to his eldest son Robert. He left England to his favourite son William. His second son had died in a hunting accident in the New Forest, something of a deadly trend in this family as his grandson also died some years later in the New Forest. In September 1087 William Rufus was…
