Where crafts appear within stories and folk tales, they’re often more than just a craft. Weaving in mythology and legend tied into ideas around fate and creation. Take ancient Egypt. Some consider Neith to be the first creator of ancient Egypt (though Ptah, the god of smiths we briefly met last week, also held this […]
mythology
Blacksmith Gods: Making Magical Items of Myth and Mayhem
Blacksmithing looks like a magical art at the best of times. Take metal from underground, apply fire and pressure, and create something wonderful – or deadly. It’s hardly surprising that so many cultures would have blacksmith gods among their deities. From Ptah in ancient Egypt to Vulcan in ancient Rome, these creators were also often […]
Persephone: Goddess of Spring and Queen of the Dead
Spring has well and truly sprung, with plants popping up here in the British Isles and lambs gambolling around in the fields. If you’re a follower of Greek myth, then you know we have Persephone to thank for this renewal of spring! But how much do we really know about this dual deity, both goddess […]
Meet Fortuna, Goddess of Luck, Abundance, and Fate
The English language features a lot of sayings about fortune or fate. Fortune favours the bold. May the odds be ever in your favour. They all boil down to the same thing – Fortuna may, or may not, give you a boost. She’s the woman to speak to if you want some luck sprinkled on […]
Why do people confuse sirens with mermaids?
There’s been a lot of confusion between sirens and mermaids since the Middle Ages. Many of the images show gorgeous women with fish’s tails. Or creatures with beautiful voices capable of bewitching men. Look at Ariel in The Little Mermaid. But it’s far from their Greek origins. And the siren/mermaid confusion only really starts when […]
Roman gods in Newcastle upon Tyne: Neptune and Oceanus
Newcastle upon Tyne sits on an ancient site of human occupation. So it’s hardly surprising that offerings to Roman gods can be found among its archaeology. I spotted these altars in the Great North Museum at Hancock and decided to delve further into two of the Roman gods of Pons Aelius. The construction of the Swing Bridge […]
