History Myths

Evolutions brings to life the latest scientific thinking on the birth of the universe and the solar system, the journey from a single cell all the way to our human minds. Reawakening our sense of wonder and terror at the world around us and within us, Oren Harman uses modern science to create new and original mythologies.

A fascination with the history and life of the Norse is growing. Movies and television series about their way of life have surged in popularity. What makes it so fascinating is not the stories in themselves, although some are truly a feast to the eyes, but how they came to be and what they mean for the people that live by them.

At the time of his death, Ulysses S. Grant was the most famous person in America, considered by most citizens to be equal in stature to George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Yet today his monuments are rarely visited, his military reputation is overshadowed by that of Robert E. Lee, and his presidency is permanently mired at the bottom of historical rankings.

¿Qué tan chinescos y poblanos son realmente los orígenes de la china poblana, emblema de la feminidadmexicana? ¿Cómo fue posible que la imagen de la Patria, aquella que aparecía en la portada de los libros de texto gratuito, combinara elementos griegos y prehispánicos, con una toga heredada de la Revolución francesa, en una extravagante alegoría del progreso? José Luis Trueba Lara contesta a estas preguntas adentrándose en las historias detrás de ocho símbolos del nacionalismo

Wildly swinging axes and swords upon majestic boats, Vikings have been a long-appreciated symbol of rage and power. They have been romanticized as overbearingly-manly warriors that plunder, loot and pillage villages all for the sake of dominance. They've always been in modern media, but where did they come from? How did they start? What brought them to the apex of influence that still makes them relevant up to this day? Their colorful history starts in the form of a migration. These warriors started out as nomads looking for new places to inhabit to prolong their lineage.

My name is Ann to those who love♥ me. Antigone★ to those who laugh at me because of my birth. And since my father blinded himself, it’s been my job to keep whats’ left of my family together. I’d not ever burden the only man I’d ever loved♥ Harry aka Haemon with following through on our wedding. His father is now the de facto ruler of Thebes now that my father left. However when Harry comes to me and needs my help in a war that’s tearing Thebes and my brothers lives apart, I’m tempted. More than tempted.♥ I can’t give into the passion, even if I want to. With ...

Misinformation and myths have attached themselves to the Egyptian pyramids since ancient Greece and Rome. While many Americans believe that the pyramids were built by aliens, archaeologists understand that the Giza pyramids were built by the pharaohs of the Fourth Dynasty around 2450 BCE. So why is there such a disconnect between scholarly opinion and the popular view of Egypt? Jason Colavito takes us back to Late Antique Egypt, where the replacement of polytheism with Christianity gave rise to local efforts to rewrite the stories of Egyptian history in the image of the Bible.

This is an audiobook that will help you become familiar with the gigantic world of Irish folklore, the Celts, and so many mysteries that have often been left out at school, but are, nonetheless, just as fascinating as some of the Greek or Roman cultural anecdotes. Dive into the world of fairies, goddesses, heroes, giants, and Selkies. Learn about the mysteries of the ancient world on the British Isles, as well as on the mainland in the old European nations.

There is a lot of misinformation thrown around today, especially Online. Headlines tell us to do this, not that - all in the name of living longer, better, thinner, younger. In Hype, Dr. Nina Shapiro distinguishes between the falsehoods and the evidence-backed truth. In her work at Harvard and UCLA, with more than 20 years of experience in both clinical and academic medicine, she helps patients make important health decisions everyday. She’s bringing those lessons to life here with a blend of science and personal stories to discuss her new definition of “a healthy life”.

Becoming Los Angeles, a new collection by the author of the acclaimed memoir Holy Land, blends history, memory, and critical analysis to illuminate how Angelenos have seen themselves and their city. Waldie’s particular concern is commonplace Los Angeles, whose rhythms of daily life are set against the gaudy backdrop of historical myth and Hollywood illusion. It’s through sacred ordinariness that Waldie experiences the city’s seasons.

Jack the Ripper. Jeffrey Dahmer. John Wayne Gacy. Locusta of Gaul. If that last name doesn’t seem to fit with the others, it’s likely because our modern society largely believes that serial killers are a recent phenomenon. Not so, argues Debbie Feltonin fact, there’s ample evidence to show that serial killers stalked the ancient world just as they do the modern one.

They call her "Victrix" now. Victory. But winning the highest honor ever bestowed upon a gladiatrix in Rome has earned Fallon more deadly enemies outside the arena than she ever faced within it. And it is those dearest to Fallon who will pay the price for her success. Now, Fallon and her warrior sisters are thrust into a vicious conflict with a rival gladiator academy, one that will threaten not only Fallon's heart - and her love for Roman soldier Cai - but the very heart of the Roman Empire.

In this multifaceted portrait, acclaimed Lincoln biographer Stephen B. Oates, “the most popular historical interpreter of Lincoln” (Gabor S. Boritt, New York Times Book Review), exposes the human side of the great and tragic president - including his depression, his difficulties with love, and his troubled and troubling attitudes about slavery - while also confronting the many legends that have arisen around “Honest Abe”. Oates throughout raises timely questions about what the Lincoln mythos reveals about the American people.

Some say history repeats itself. Some even say that events repeat themselves in a timeless loop. Nicole and her brothers do not know for sure. But they do know that sometimes when history repeats itself, things can go wrong, and they’re here to fix that. What would have happened if JFK had remained alive? What would happen if Elvis didn’t really die? What would change if one more boy had died in the Holocaust? Nicole and her brothers are there for only one purpose, to make sure history repeats itself exactly as it did the first time around. They have done it well, for many years. But ...

From unexpected deaths to magical curses, mummies seem to have a mysterious impact on others. Learn more about how mummies came to be—and what makes them monsters.

Ancient Greece and its mythology is truly a marvel of history...one that has stood the test of time. Greek myths were more than just stories and epic tales. Take a deeper look, and you will uncover the lessons, philosophies, wisdom, and even warnings that these myths taught. In truth, they are still relevant to this day.

This concise overview covers Greece’s Stone Age and Bronze Age civilizations, its archaic and classical eras, its centuries under Roman rule, and the fascinating Byzantine Empire. It travels through Greece’s period under the Turkish Ottoman Empire, then its emancipation and formation of a parliamentary democracy that continued into the 20th century.

What is often referred to as Egyptian mythology is actually a collection of all myths that existed in ancient Egypt. Call them myths or beliefs - these were an important part of ancient Egyptian religion and described the actions of the many gods and goddesses.

An order of warrior monks founded to protect pilgrims to Jerusalem, the Templars were among the wealthiest and most powerful bodies in the medieval world. Yet two centuries later, they were arrested, accused of blasphemy, heresy and orgies, and their leaders were burnt at the stake. Part guide, part history, this book investigates the Templar legends and legacy - from the mysteries of Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem, via nineteenth century development of the Freemasons, through to Templar appearances in Dan Brown and Indiana Jones.

For the last nine centuries, Hawaiian tradition has used the wickedness of the Maui king Hua to depict the consequences of sacrificing righteousness for superficial political gains. His reign was known for its pointless warfare, waste of resources, and corruption. Condemning his dutiful high priest to death under false pretenses, Hua and his subjects finally earn the wrath of the gods. Drought and famine decimate Maui. The lush countryside of Hana becomes a wasteland. As they flee, the curse follows. Atonement resides with the sons of the murdered priest. If they can be found.