It’s somewhat surprising that of all the plants I’ve featured on this blog, I’ve never quite made it to the humble poppy. Why surprising? Orange and yellow poppies fill my garden with joy every year, and I always look forward to them popping up. Not to mention the fact poppies have amassed a range of […]
Folklore
Iris Folklore: Perfume, Remedies, and a Rainbow Goddess
Depending on where you are in the world, you might be lucky enough to see the iris bloom before it fades for the year. Where I am, they finished in mid-May, but with the changing climate, that might vary for you. The iris is one of those instantly recognisable flowers, showy and bright with its […]
Milan Legends of Dragons, Ghosts, and the Devil
Milan first appears in the ancient record in c. 590 BC as a Celtic settlement, later conquered by the Romans. When Diocletian divided the Roman Empire, Milan was the capital of the western half. But here in the 21st century, it’s perhaps better known as a fashion capital. Or maybe as the home of AC […]
What was the Dancing Plague of 1518 in Strasbourg?
When it comes to plague outbreaks in Europe, your mind probably doesn’t immediately jump to a so-called dancing plague. Yet that’s precisely what seemed to grip Strasbourg, France in the summer of 1518. Townspeople started dancing, seemingly against their will, and couldn’t stop for almost a month. Hundreds died of exhaustion, with contemporary commentators blaming […]
Vienna Legends: Mozart, Elisabeth Bathory & Restless Ghosts
Vienna has a long history, dating back to the 1st century CE Roman military camp of Vindobona. It was the capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and is now the capital of Austria. And it’s been home to some pretty big names over the centuries. Mozart, Beethoven, Sigmund Freud, Gustav Klimt, Hedy Lamarr, Marie Antoinette and […]
Helsinki Legends: Haunted Theatres and Restless Ghosts
The Helsinki region has been inhabited for millennia, as proven by the Bronze Age burial mound in Kulosaari. Yet Gustav Vasa founded Helsinki as a city in 1550. Russia conquered Finland in 1808 and made Helsinki the capital of the Grand Duchy of Finland, a region within the country. Finland finally gained independence in 1917. […]
