Eastern Europe
-
Nzinga of Ndongo and Matamba- Always have a Chair for the Queen
The Portuguese had begun colonizing Africa after their rounding of the Cape of Good Hope in 1488. The English and the French had begun exploring northeast Africa, so the Portuguese concentrated on the south, what is now Congo and Angola. Their chief aim was to provide slaves for their colony of Brazil in South America. Ndongo was ruled by a king called a Ngola, and the government was run by slaves. This was similar to the system of the janissaries in the Ottoman Empire. Slaves loyal to the royal family took high positions in the government and the military to ensure absolute loyalty. Ndongo was a trading partner of the…
-
Timurlane
After the death of Genghis Khan, the Mongol Empire had fragmented into separate khanates as his descendants squabbled amongst themselves. The empire he built was too big for any of them to rule, so it was split into pieces and divided between them. The northwestern portion was called Golden Horde, and by 1336 the majority of it was ruled by Sultan Mohammed Oz Beg. His domain ran from Moscow to the Aral Sea and his capital was Sarai. Also in 1336, a son was born to a Turco-Mongol tribal leader of the Barlas in Transoxiana. Transoxiana is located at the edge of the mountains just south of the beautiful city…
-
The Lost Tomb of Alexander the Great
Alexander the Great conquered the known world, but died unexpectedly in Babylon in 323 BCE at 32 years old. His death left his empire in disarray, and his generals scrambled to save pieces of it even as Alexander’s funeral preparations drug on for two years. At one point, one of these generals, Ptolemy, took control of both Egypt and the great general’s body. According to Roman historian Curtius Rufus, “Alexander’s body was taken to Memphis by Ptolemy, into whose power Egypt had fallen, and transferred from there a few years later to Alexandria, where every mark of respect continues to be paid to his memory and his name. This was…
-
Sister goddesses- The Zorja
In Slavic mythology, the Zorja are two guardian goddesses, known as the Auroras. They guard and watch over the doomsday hound, Simargl. Simargl is chained to the star Polaris in the constellation Ursa Minor or the “little bear”. If the chain ever breaks, the hound will devour the constellation and the universe will end. The Zorja represent the Morning Star and the Evening Star. The Zorja serve the sun god Dažbog, who in some myths is their father. Zorja Utrennjaja, the Morning Star, opens the gates to his palace every morning for the sun-chariot’s departure. She is a patroness of horses, protection, exorcism, and the planet Venus. Slavs would pray…
-
Nazi Gold Train – Fact or Fiction?
It’s well known that during WWII, agents from the Third Reich acting on behalf of the ruling Nazi Party of Germany plundered many cities. Most notably by military units known as the Kunstschutz. In addition to gold, silver and currency, cultural items of great significance were stolen, including paintings, ceramics, books, and religious treasures. Most of these items were recovered by agents of the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives program (MFAA)(Monuments Men), on behalf of the Allies. Thousands of items remain missing. One of the most popular legends where the treasures ended up are The Nazi Gold Trains. If the legends are true, it would be one of the greatest…
