The Life and Times of the World

Oda Nobunaga

2011-08-01T17:31:00.000-07:00

Oda Nobunaga was born on June 23,1534 and died June 21,1582. He is perhaps more famous for how he died than what he accomplished.He was the first of the three unifiers of Japan. First we are going to focus on what he did for Japan. He was liked and loathed by people in Japan. Well unlike his predecessors, he selected his subjects on the basis of their skills and not their social standing. During his period he revolutionized the way war was fought. At the time he had one of the most modernized forces in the world. Nobunaga implemented the use of long pikes, firearms, and castle fortifications. His retainers also were given land based on rice output. His brilliance was not just limited to the military.

Nobunaga was also a very clever and smart businessman. He really modernized Japan's economy by building castle towns and making them the center of local economies. Nobunaga did this in order to move Japan's economy from an agricultural base to manufacture and service base. He also built roads in order to move armies and to trade. Nobunaga also traded on an international level as well. He established laws to ease and regulate borrowing of debt. Oda Nobunaga mercilessly killed thousands of people in order to unify and conquer Japan. While he was at a temple in Kyoto one of his generals attacked him.This resulted in a battle and the battle ended with Nobunaga committing suicide. The unification of Japan was a result of his achievements during his life.

The Olmecs

2011-07-12T12:33:00.000-07:00

The Olmecs were an important civilization. They were the first Pre-Columbian civilization in Mexico. The Olmec civilization existed long before the Aztecs did. It is said that the Olmecs laid the foundation for many of the civilizations that came later. They existed between 1500 BCE and 400 BCE. The Olmecs lived in what is now the Mexican states of Veracruz and Tabasco. The most famous aspect of the Olmecs is the gigantic heads that they left behind.So far 17 gigantic heads have been discovered and no two heads are alike. They also range in size from 3.4 m high to 1.47 m high. The largest head weighs between 25-55 tons. The heads are made from volcanic basalt and that 1500 people were needed to move just one head.

The Olmec are credited with many firsts in mesoamerican culture. They were the originators of the prevalent mesoamerican ballgame that other later cultures use to play. This ballgame was used for recreational and religious purposes. Many believe that this ballgame was similar to volleyball. In addition they are credited with first practicing bloodletting,the invention of zero, and the mesoamerican calendar. Bloodletting was the practice of drawing blood from oneself. It is even believed that the Olmec were the first in the western hemisphere to develop a writing system. The Olmec used a long count calendar which is believed to have predated the Maya. These long count calendars required the use of zero. This long count calendar is one of the earliest uses of zero in history.

It is not exactly known what caused the extinction of the Olmec. All that is really known is that there was a population drop for the Olmec between 400BCE and 350 BCE.

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Yu the Great

2011-06-28T16:29:00.000-07:00

Yu the Great was born during the year of the tiger 2059 BCE. He was the legendary founder of the Xia dynasty and best known for taming the great flood that occurred in China.People were forced to abandon their homes to go live in the mountains. The flood brought much misery to the people.Yu had the task of fighting this natural disaster. After being married for only four days he left home to control the flood. He found a way of digging channels to allow the flood water to flow to the sea.The flood water flowed into the sea through nine newly dredged rivers.It took him 13 years to control the floodwater.

During that 13 years he passed by his home 3 times but never went in until he accomplished his task.He became the personification of selfless devotion and perseverance. He also organized people to develop agriculture by fully utilizing water and soil. The ruler at the time was chosen according to ability. He was recommended by Shun and the people to be the next ruler. People respected him for being selfless in order to help others. He was given the title Yu the Great after he successfully tamed the floodwater. The Xia Dynasty he established was the first dynasty of China and lasted 400 years.

Daily Life and Cuisine in Ancient Egypt

2011-06-18T14:54:00.000-07:00

A typical diet for ancient Egyptians consisted of bread,beer,veggies,and fruit. Whatever foods ancient Egyptians could not produce they traded for it.Wine and meat were enjoyed on feast days. For wealthier Egyptians wine and meat were enjoyed on a regular basis. Most ancient Egyptians were farmers. Their dwellings were made of mud-brick designed to remain cool in the heat of the day. Each kitchen had a grindstone for milling flour and a oven for baking bread. Each home had a kitchen with a open roof.

Floors were covered with reed mats,wooden stools,and beds raised from the floor. The walls of a typical dwelling for an ancient Egyptian were painted white. Clothes were made from simple linen sheets that were bleached white. Kids went without clothing until they were around 12 yrs. old. It was around that age that men were circumcised and had their heads shaved. Men were known to shave their entire bodies for cleanliness. Most ancient Egyptians used perfumes and ointments to cover bad odors. Most of them also bathed in the Nile. They used a soap made from animal fat and chalk.

Just like our society today ancient Egyptians believed that hygiene and appearance were very important. Men and women of upper class wore jewelry and cosmetics. Upper class Egyptians also enjoyed boating and hunting as well. Men and women usually married young in ancient Egypt. Divorce did exist but was not that common like it is today. Ancient Egyptians considered children a gift from the gods. Surprisingly women were allowed to own property,testify in court,and make business deals. Women were highly regarded.
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The Great Pyramid

2011-06-02T17:54:00.000-07:00

The Pharaoh Khufu began planning for his pyramid when he took the throne.The spot that was picked for his pyramid was on the west bank of the nile. Khufu's architects knew the importance of building the pharaoh's pyramid so that its sides faced north,south,east and west. They planned on building the largest one ever built in ancient Egypt. Large blocks of stone were cut from quarries nearby. The large blocks were dragged across the desert to the site of the pyramid.Workers were mostly composed of farmers.The workers built ramps of mudbrick, limestone chips, and clay. They dragged large stones up the ramps to build the next level. The work on the pyramid continued for the next 20 yrs.

A special block covered in shiny metal was placed at the top of the pyramid. Blocks of white limestone covered the pyramid.Each stone weighs about 2.5 tons to 15 tons each. The pyramid itself has three burial chambers. The second chamber was aboveground,the first was underground, and the third is the King's chamber.This great pyramid was a center piece of a much larger complex.This complex had 3 small pyramids, a mortuary temple, valley temple,and much more.

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The Gods of Ancient Egypt

2011-05-20T13:36:00.000-07:00

Ancient Egyptians believed in many gods. There are possibly over 2,000 gods and goddesses that they worshiped. Of course I cannot list them all here.I can only list a few of them. Let's start with their god Osiris. Osiris was the god of the underworld.the dead, and vegetation. The Egyptians believed that he gave Egypt civilization. They also believed that he was once human and lived on the earth as a pharaoh. At least several festivals were held each year in Egypt to honor Osiris. Osiris's predecessor was the god Anubis.

Anubis was once the most important god of the dead. He was depicted as a man with a jackal's head. He was responsible for protecting and guiding the dead to the underworld. Before he was replaced by Osiris during the middle kingdom of Egypt prayers for the dead went to him. He also had another role as "Guardian of the Scales".Which meant that he decided what happened to souls once they reached the underworld.

Next is Thoth the moon god. He was also believed to have had a book containing all the wisdom of the world in it. Ancient Egyptians believed he invented writing and was a scribe to the gods. They believed he was the master of both moral and physical law. He had many roles. Another role was being a mediator between good and evil.Making sure neither was more powerful than the other.

Another interesting god was Horus. He was said to be the sky god and protector of the king. Ancient Egyptians believed he was the son of Isis and Osiris. Since he was the sky god Egyptians believed that the sun was his right eye and the moon his left.

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Pirates of the Spanish Main and the Golden Age of Pirates

2011-05-08T16:12:00.000-07:00

The Caribbean sea was known as the Spanish main. The pirates from the Spanish main lived in a time called the Golden age of pirates. This period of time began when Queen Elizabeth from England made her best sailors privateers. A privateer was a captain of a ship who stole valuable items from other ships. The difference between a privateer and pirate was that a privateer had a special license called a letter of marque from a national government. Some of the sailors who became privateers were Sir Francis Drake, Captain William Kidd, and Sir Walter Raleigh. They eventually became pirates themselves because pirates usually made a lot of money.

Buccaneers were pirates who lived with Indians in Hispaniola. They were called buccaneers because the Indians they lived with used knives called boucans. Pirates from the Spanish Main used these boucan knives as weapons and it became their favorite weapon to use. Eventually these pirates were called Buccaneers. Buccaneers stole from any ship they came across. The buccaneers hated the Spanish because the Spanish destroyed towns, other pirate ships, and killed any buccaneer they came across. Soon the buccaneers formed a group called the brethren of the coast. They made a vow to fight against the Spanish. The most successful buccaneer was Sir Henry Morgan.

Buccaneers became so strong that other non pirate ship captains insisted that the buccaneers be stopped. Amnesty was offered to any pirate who would stop being a pirate. In 1717, Captain Woodes Rodgers set a trap for the buccaneers at New Providence in the Bahamas. At least a thousand pirates were trapped there and a huge battle began. Captain Rodgers did win that battle and the buccaneers were defeated. 1519-1780 was known as the Golden Age of Pirates.

What was Life Like for a Knight in the Middle Ages?

2011-04-13T13:26:00.000-07:00

The knight was a man who lived between the 12th and 17th centuries. They usually pledged to serve their king in military service. A Knight would serve 40 days of each year in military combat for his king. Of course a knight wouldn't do this for nothing. In return the knight would get a position in the King's court,his own estate,and loot from his battles. They spent most of their time honing their weapons skills.A typical day for a knight would include discussions on warfare strategy.

A knight's day would begin with morning mass and prayers. They would also pray in the middle of the day and at the end of the day.Knights were expected to know the rules of chivalry.Most of the time a knight would accompany their king or lord in hunting. One major point was that a knight was to defend their king or lord.They were also expected to protect those of lesser rank than himself. A knight was also expected to be knowledgeable in religion,writing,music and leadership.

The way a person became a knight was either proving himself on the battlefield or was being the son of a knight.For a boy of royalty there was a process for training to become a knight. At the age of 8 they would be sent to a lord's court to become a page.By being a page they would learn the rules of court,chivalry,writing,music and of course weapons. Once the boy became 13 he would become a squire. His training would be more focused on combat,weapons and horsemanship. The most important part of training was learning the tactics for horse mounted combat. Nowadays knighthood is just a title of honor with no power.

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The Knights Hospitaller

2011-04-05T20:18:00.000-07:00

The Knights Hospitaller were a group of men stationed at a hospital in Jerusalem to care for christian pilgrims who were injured,sick or poor.In about 600 AD Pope Gregory the Great commissioned a hospital to be built in Jerusalem. The purpose of this hospital was to treat and care for the christian pilgrims that came to visit the Holy Land. Then in 1005 Caliph Al Hakim destroyed the hospital during the battle for Jerusalem. Then in 1023 merchants from Italy were given permission by Caliph Ali az-Zahir to rebuild the hospital in Jerusalem. The new hospital was served by Benedictine Monks during the first crusade. After the first crusade,the monastic hospitaller order was founded by Blessed Gerard.

The duties of the Knights were to initially care for the pilgrims who had a long and difficult journey to the holy land. Then the order began to provide armed escorts to christian pilgrims. The knights hospitaller,who were also known as Knights of the order of Saint John the Hospitaller,took four vows. These vows were chastity,poverty,obedience,and to protect pilgrims. The hospitallers soon became one of the most powerful christian groups in the region. The hospitallers established numerous branches in Europe.The knights usually wore a black surcoat with a white cross on it.

The hospitallers had seven forts and 140 estates in Jerusalem. The Hospitallers lasted much longer than the Knights Templar which were disbanded in 1312. Much of the Templar's property was given to the Hospitallers. Soon after the fall of the Templar's many of their members joined the hospitallers. The knights hospitallers were expelled from Jerusalem due to the rising of the power of Islam. The order eventually continued to operate from Malta until 1798 when Napoleon took control over Malta. Then they were dispersed throughout Europe. Today the order continues under the name of the Roman Catholic Sovereign Military Order of Malta.

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The Legend of the Lost Inca Gold

2011-03-21T13:58:00.000-07:00

Gold and Silver were abundant in the Inca civilization. The city of Cuzco was the capital of the Inca empire and the richest. Once the Spaniards reached the new world they heard of the abundance of the Inca's Gold. The king of the Incas at the time was Atahualpa. He was then captured by Francisco Pizzaro a Spanish commander.Francisco promised he would release Atahualpa if the Incas would give him a roomful of gold.

In today's standards that gold would be worth about $50 million. Of course Francisco changed his mind about the deal and had Atahualpa strangled to death before the gold was delivered. Supposedly the gold was buried in a secret cave where it remains to this day. Then 50 yrs. later a Spaniard named Valverde was supposedly led to this gold and became rich.Upon his death he left directions to this gold.

The last person to discover this gold was Barth Blake in 1886. He said he found tons of gold& silver pieces and tons of other gold. He took only what he could carry and never went back.Some say that on his way to New York he disappeared overboard.Numerous expeditions in search of the gold have failed. The gold did in fact exist because it was recorded in the Spanish chronicle. The problem is the mountains themselves. They are big and hard to access. It is not a question of whether the gold exists or not.It's more of where is the gold or what happened to it.

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Does Japan have a history of earthquakes?

2011-03-13T21:14:00.000-07:00

The answer to this question is yes. When I found out about what happened in Japan I was curious. I wondered if this was the first time Japan had experienced something like this. I wondered if maybe something like this happened in their past. Sure enough I was right. It was called the Hoei earthquake . The 1707 earthquake and tsunami destroyed 29,000 houses and caused about 5,000 casualties.But the 1707 earthquake was not their last one. In 1771 they experienced another earthquake called the Yaeyama Great Earthquake. Of course this caused the Great Yaeyama tsunami as well. As a result 8439 persons were killed in Ishigaki island and 2548 in Miyakojima Japan. The damage amounted to 12,000 dead and missing in 1771. Agriculture was badly damaged and the population in the meiji era decreased to about one-third.

Yet again in 1896 there was the Meiji-Sanriku Earthquake which generated one of the most destructive tsunamis in Japanese history. 9,000 homes were destroyed and 22,000 people died. The waves of this tsunami had heights of 125 feet.The tsunami caused damage in Hawaii as well. Fishing fleets were at sea when this occurred. When the fleets returned they were sailing amongst a vast amount of bodies and debris.

Japan has experienced terrible tsunamis in the past but they recovered every time .I believe that if they recovered from them in the past then they can recover from the 2011 tsunami as well with as many people helping as they can.Let us continue to help Japan and keep them in our prayers.

Why Saint Patrick's Day is Celebrated.

2011-03-06T19:04:00.000-08:00

Many people probably believe that Saint Patrick was born and raised in Ireland.That is not true at all. He was in fact born in England. His parents were wealthy and his father was a christian deacon. When he was 16 yrs. old he was taken captive by a group of raiders attacking his family's estate. They took him to Ireland where he spent 6 yrs. there as a captive. During that time he was lonely because of the kind of work he did.He worked outdoors and was away from people most of the time. He turned to religion for comfort and became a devout christian.

He believed he had heard God speaking to him in a dream telling him to leave Ireland.When he got back to England he had another dream from an angel telling him to go back to Ireland but this time as a missionary.He soon started religious training after that but the training lasted 15 yrs.After becoming a priest his mission was to preach to the Irish Christians and convert the ones who are not.When he arrived most of the Irish practiced a nature based pagan religion. He decided to incorporate Irish rituals into his christian lessons. One example of this is that he superimposed a sun onto the christian cross because the sun is a powerful Irish symbol.That cross is now called a Celtic Cross.According to an old legend Patrick used the three leaf clover to explain the Holy Trinity.

By the seventh Century he was already the patron saint of Ireland. He died on March 17 around the year 493.Today Saint Patrick's Day is celebrated on the 17th of March. It is celebrated in Ireland and all over various parts of the World. At first Saint Patrick's day was celebrated as a holy day in Ireland and over the years became a festival as well.In Ireland the day is celebrated with a week long tradition of festivities. Here in America the day is celebrated with corned beef and cabbage,parades,and lots of drinking. People usually do not drink more on that day just because it is Saint Patrick's day.It is first a holy day and feast in Ireland.People in Ireland usually eat roast chicken or pink bacon on that day.Corned beef and cabbage is an American tradition.

If you are celebrating Saint Patrick's day this year do not drink and drive. Once again thank you for taking time to read my blog.Come back soon to check out my new post.

What was Aztec culture and Religion like?

2011-02-27T11:09:00.000-08:00

The Aztecs were an advanced civilization. They built intricate cities such as Tenochtitlan and had an elaborate government. The Aztec society and government had four classes.These classes were nobles,commoners,serfs,and slaves.The society was highly structured with the nobles being at the top and serfs at the bottom.Of course the nobles were the most powerful. Slaves were obtained through war and most government office positions were hereditary.Anyone who couldn't pay their debt became slaves.Most of the people were commoners.Their culture relied on hunting and gathering

The men did most of the hunting and gathering. The women cooked and wove clothes.Common age for marriage for women was 16 and men 20. Young men didn't attend school until they were ten. Until they went to school they learned from the fathers. Women often wore blouses called huipilli and skirts called cueitl huipilli. Sandals were also very important to the Aztecs because the type of sandals you wore determined your status.Commoners didn't wear a lot footwear.The men wore a loincloth called the breech cloth.They normally wore this under a cloak.This cloak was called tilmatli. The primary language was Nahuatl.

As far as religion goes,the Aztecs worshiped many gods and goddesses. Religion was very important to them.Each god or goddess represented a different aspect of life.For example the god of wind was called ehecatl. Of course human sacrifice was also part of their religion.Why? They believed that their actions could please or displease a god.Humans were sacrificed all year long.Many of these sacrifices were children,slaves or prisoners of war. They believed human blood and hearts gave the gods strength. The Aztecs believed in multiple heavens and multiple hells. The Aztecs were indeed a fascinating civilization.

To learn a lot more about The Aztecs visit http://www.aztec-history.net/. This website is a comprehensive website about the Aztecs.

Who Exactly Were the Vikings?(part 2)

2011-02-12T15:01:00.000-08:00

The viking age ended when they stopped raiding. The reason they stopped raiding was due to the changes happening in Europe. Norse society had a large number of land owning farmers who had the time and means to raid. The ships they needed to go out and raid were expensive. Before a farmer left to go raid he needed to make sure he had enough help to run the farm while he was away. This had changed when the number of wealthy men started to decline and more landless men appeared. These landless men couldn't afford to leave the land and raid.

At the beginning of the viking age most European lands had no central authority figures.What they had were local chieftains and petty kings to rule these lands. By the end of the viking age this had changed.European lands had strong central authorities. They had strong armies capable of defending against viking attacks. These armies were trained and professional.Also the places the vikings usually attacked began to change to be less susceptible to viking attacks. Monasteries built defend able towers to store their valuables in. The raids slowed and then stopped because times had changed.Then vikings to Europeans were not vikings but became swedes,Danes, Norwegians,Icelanders,and Greenlanders.

Who exactly were the Vikings ?

2011-01-31T19:39:00.000-08:00

Let us first start of with exactly what does the word Viking mean and where it comes from. Well the Scandinavians came up with it first. It comes from the Norse word "vik" which means bay or creek. The word "vik" formed the word "vikingr" which means pirate. Vikings were people who sailed from their homelands to other countries to explore.The Vikings came from the areas we know today as Denmark,Norway,and Sweden.There were also Finnish,Estonian,and Saami Vikings as well. It is not exactly known why they left their homelands to begin with. The earliest Vikings left their homelands in search of riches.Others say it was due to overpopulation.

The common traits that all Vikings had that made them different from Europeans was that they came from a foreign land,were not christian,and were not "civilized" in the local sense of the word. The Vikings learned about new sailing technology ,learned about the inner conflicts between kingdoms,and also about Europe's growing riches from their trading with Europeans.They soon used this new found knowledge to their advantage. What marked the beginning of the Viking Age was their attack on the Lindisfarne Monastery off the coast of northeastern England in A.D. 793. In the beginning the monasteries were their favorite targets because they were often unprotected and vulnerable. They didn't have any respect for religious institutions. The terrorized monks often wrote about these raids as well.

Farmers and craftsmen would also joined Viking Raids as well. Then after a raid they would return home to their normal occupations. Historians believe that Viking Warriors did not use Horned Helmets. Also historians do not believe that Vikings used skulls as drinking vessels. The typical image of a Viking being dirty with wild hair is also a misconception. This misconception was brought on by the non-Scandinavian Christians who did not understand paganism. This is just part one of Viking history.Come back to my blog for part two.

The origins of the Chinese New Year.

2011-01-12T12:41:00.000-08:00

The Chinese new year is the most important festivity in the Chinese lunar calendar.It is also the longest. The date is partially determined by the lunar phase. The festival usually ends with the lantern festival. Ancient Chinese new year is a reflection of how people behaved and what they believed in. According to legend the Chinese new year started with a fight against a mythical creature known as Nien. Nien would come on the first day of the new year to devour crops,villagers,and children.

The villagers would put food outside their door at the beginning of the year to protect themselves. They thought the nien would not attack if it ate the food they made. Then one day someone saw that the nien was afraid of a child wearing red. After that every new year people would hang red lanterns outside their door and used firecrackers to scare nien away. Since then Nien never came back.It was eventually captured by a monk. That is how the legend goes.

It is also believed that the loud beats of the drum and cymbals with the face of the dragon dancing aggressively can keep evil spirits away. The biggest celebration of Chinese new year occur in Singapore and Penang. Here in the U.S the tradition of celebrating Chinese New Year started in 1849 during the California gold rush. Over 50,000 people came over to seek a better way of life and seek their fortune. In the 1860s residents of San Francisco's Chinatown wanted to share their culture with fellow residents of San Francisco.They decided the best way to do so is with a favorite American tradition the parade. That had never been done before in China. So they marched down the streets of Chinatown carrying flags,lanterns,drums,firecrackers to keep away evil spirits.

This Year Chinese New Year begins February 3.

The History of New Years

2011-01-02T16:39:00.000-08:00

People have been celebrating New Years for at least four millenia. The earliest celebration of the new year dates back 4,000 years to ancient Babylon. In ancient Babylon the start of the new year wasn't January 1st. Actually the first new moon following the vernal equinox was the start of their new year. That usually was around march. To celebrate they had a religious festival called Akitu which lasted 11 days. During this time the Babylonians usually crowned the new king or the current king's rule was renewed.

In ancient Rome the new year was marked on the beginning of the vernal equinox. Also their calendar was only 10 months and was created by Romulus,the founder of rome,in the 8th century.Then Numa Pompilius added Januarius and Febuarius. Later on Julius Caesar decided that January first should be the day of the new year. The reason being to honor the Roman god of beginnings Janus. They also made sacrifices to Janus and attended parties.

Ancient Olympics

2010-12-15T17:02:00.000-08:00

The ancient olympics were held in honor of Zeus. They began in 776 BC in Olympia,Greece and held every four years. When the games were being played a truce was usually called so athletes could travel from their countries in safety. During times of war priests would make sacrifices to the gods for victory. During the games there was also artistic competitions and religious celebrations. A great statue of Zeus was erected to preside over the games.

Unlike the modern games, in ancient times the games were usually held in Greece and not different locations. Only people who were free and spoke Greek could compete. Athletes from any city-state or country could compete as long as the met the requirements. The first games were a race between young women to see who would become the priestess for the goddess Hera. The site of Olympia was destroyed by an earthquake in the 6th century AD.

On the middle day of the games 100 oxen were sacrificed to Zeus. Every Participant had to take an oath in front of the statue of Zeus. In the beginning the games only lasted a day and then grew to 5 days. At first the only game was racing. Then during the 14th Olympic games they added the two stade race. Over the years more events were added. Usually the winner of an event received an olive branch and in his home town received a lot of money. Sculptors would even create statues of the winners.Athletes usually competed nude.

Nikolaos of Myra: The Real Santa Claus

2010-11-29T10:09:00.000-08:00

Christmas and Santa Claus go well together. Parents tell their kids to be good or else Santa Claus won't bring them anything for Christmas. We see Santa Claus movies on television,Santa Claus in the malls,and so on. Where did the idea of Santa Claus come from? Was he a real person? Well the primary inspiration for Santa Claus was Saint Nikolaos of Myra. He was a 4th century christian Greek bishop. He was famous for giving gifts to the poor and for helping 3 poor daughters of a christian.

Saint Nicholas and the dutch Sinterklaas merged with the British character Father Christmas to create the Santa Claus we know today. In England Father Christmas dates back to the 17th Century and in pictures wears a green robe. In the rest of the world Saint Nicholas was blended with local folklore. For example in the 1840s in Denmark there was an elf in Nordic folklore that delivered presents. This elf was a bearded man that wore a red hat.

The name Santa Claus was first used in the United States in 1773. In Washington's Irving's History of New York,Sinterklaas was Americanized into Santa Claus.In this version he lost his bishop's apparel and wore a green winter coat. Most of Santa Claus's modern attributes were established in the poem "The Night Before Christmas" in 1823.In that poem St. Nick rides a sleigh, has around belly, and is jolly. The tradition of Santa Claus going down a chimney came from a tale of St.Nick tossing coins down a chimney to help 3 poor daughters.

There are many different versions and legends of Santa Claus all throughout the world. Local folklore blended with Saint Nikolaos of Myra and many writers added their own twist over the years to get the Santa Claus we know today.

Woman in China Arrested for Using Twitter

2010-11-21T12:20:00.000-08:00

Cheng Jianping was sentenced to a labor camp in china for retweeting a post from her fiance on twitter. The chief executive of twitter posted this message," Dear Chinese government, a year long detentions for sending a sarcastic tweet is neither the way forward nor the future of your great people." Cheng's fiance said the original tweet was about recent anti-Japanese protests in China. Twitter is blocked in china but some have figured out how to bypass the controls.

This is what the original tweet said," Anti-Japanese demonstrations,smashing Japanese products, that was all done years ago by Guo Quan. It's no new trick. If you really wanted to kick it up a notch, you'd immediately fly to Shanghai to smash the Japanese expo pavilion."

Cheng re posted that and added, "Angry youth, charge!"

In my opinion the Chinese government needs to grow up. I mean putting someone in a labor camp for tweeting is ridiculous.It really shows that they are not changing with the times. It really isn't the way of the future. I know our government has its flaws but our government is not that bad.I am very grateful that I live in the country I live in. Every person no matter what country should have freedom of speech. The chinese government seems like they are scared to have their people think for themselves.Tell me what you think of this by adding a comment.

Franklin's Lost Expedition

2010-11-19T12:15:00.000-08:00

Sir John Franklin led a British Arctic Exploration in 1845. This wasn't his first arctic exploration. He had served on three previous explorations. His fourth exploration would be his last.What prompted this voyage was that people wanted a quicker way to get to Asia. People wanted to know if a northwest passage existed between Asia and North America. His ships were the Terror and Erebus. He had 129 crew members and believed he had enough supplies to last the whole trip. The supplies were not enough to last the whole trip.The lack of supplies led to the death of the entire crew. Somehow both ships were trapped in ice at King William Island. Since supplies were dwindling some of the men left the ship to find food. The intense cold did get the best of them though. The graves of three crew members were discovered on Beechy island. The cold had turned them into mummies. Those mummies were analyzed and it was discovered that they had lead poisoning.

People in England realized something must be wrong. They sent other explorers to find Franklin and his crew.A search in 1859 led by Francis McClintock discovered a note on King William Island. This note left details of the expedition and what went wrong. A series of studies in 1981 concluded that the crew members they found most likely died of pneumonia and maybe tuberculosis.The lead poisoning made their health worse. The cut marks on the bones left on King William Island were seen as signs of cannibalism. The combination of starvation, lead poisoning, disease,and the fact that they lacked proper clothing is what killed the crew. Here is a link to a documentary of the expedition: http://www.YouTube.com/watch?v=E9dwodDdvjk. Or go on youtube and type in Franklin's lost expedition to find out more.

History of the Jack O' Lantern

2010-10-27T12:16:00.000-07:00

People have been carving pumpkins as long as I can remember. Some are better at it than others. How did this tradition start? It actually starts from a Irish myth about a man called Stingy Jack. Here is how the myth goes, Stingy Jack invited the devil to have a drink with him. Of course stingy jack didn't want to pay for his drink. He convinced the devil to turn himself into a coin that Jack could use to pay for their drinks. The devil turned himself into a coin.Well Jack decided to keep the coin and he put it into his pocket next to a silver cross. That prevented the devil from changing back.

Jack did change the devil back but under certain conditions. The devil could not bother jack for one year and the devil could not claim jack's soul. The following year the devil was tricked by jack again. Jack convinced the devil to climb a tree to get a piece of fruit. While the devil was in the tree,jack carved a cross into that same tree. Which prevented the devil from climbing down. Jack did this so that the devil would not bother him for another 10 years. Not to much later after that Jack died. For some reason God would not allow Jack into heaven. The devil ,still mad about the tricks Jack played on him, would not allow jack into hell. Also he promised jack he would not claim his soul. He sent jack into the dark night with nothing but a burning piece of coal for light. Jack put this coal into a carved out turnip.He has been roaming the earth ever since.
That is how the Irish myth goes.The Irish began to refer to this ghost as Jack of the Lantern. Then they shortened it to Jack O' Lantern. In Scotland and Ireland people began to carve scary faces into turnips or potatoes. England used large beets.Then they would place them into windows or doors to keep Stingy Jack away.Immigrants brought this tradition with them into America.Remember I do not mean to offend anyone by this posting. I just thought people would be interested to know the origins of pumpkin carving.

Do other Countries Celebrate Halloween?

2010-10-21T13:00:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not there are other countries that do celebrate Halloween besides the U.S. The United Kingdom,Mexico,Spain, Latin America,Canada,and Ireland all celebrate Halloween. In Latin America they celebrate Dia DE Los Muertos.In English it is called the Day of the Dead.It is designed to honor the dead. People bring out pictures,go to the cemetery and cook the favorite dishes of their dead loved ones. Some even construct an alter to the dead.
Halloween actually originated in Ireland.They celebrate it just like we here.Children wear costumes,people throw parties,and kids go trick or treating. In the U.K. Halloween was known as mischief night and it was celebrated on Nov. 4. People would take away their doors from their hinges and throw them into a pond. Sometimes they would simply take them. Today they have another nickname for it like Snap apple night. It is also common in England for families to sit on a hearth,roast nuts,and eat apples. Also the tradition of trick or treat is not followed in England.What the kids do instead is go from house to house and collect money for the poor.
I know there are people out there that do not like Halloween and I do not mean to offend anyone by this blog. I just thought it would be interesting to post what other countries do on this day.

What caused the French Revolution?

2010-10-04T12:34:00.000-07:00

The French Revolution took place in the 18th Century.The main causes were financial and constitutional.The french involvement in the American revolutionary war caused a financial strain. Also the common people didn't have power or freedom.The king ruled as an absolute monarch.The clergy and nobles enjoyed special privileges.Commoners had to pay heavy taxes.Nobles and clergy didn't have to pay taxes and the could outvote the commoners.

In 1789 the country was bankrupt. Louis XIV spent way too much and his successors were just as bad. Then anyone who tried to introduce financial reform he dismissed. Even among the commoners taxes were not equal. The tax gatherers took whatever taxes they could. Some provinces were exempt from certain taxes. Peasants suffered from feudal dues as well.It also didn't help that Maire Antoinette was just as bad as Louis XIV when it came to spending money.

The peasants had to pay dues to the king,nobles,and the church. Thanks to the writers of the age ,such as Voltaire, the people began to think for themselves. The success that the Americans had in their war encouraged the french to do the same. A mob stormed the Bastille,a old french prison, and the walls were torn down. The french revolution had begun.

For more info on this subject checkout http://history-world.org/french_revolution.htm

The Terror of the Sea:Blackbeard the Pirate

2010-09-14T15:32:00.000-07:00

Many of us have heard of Blackbeard but don't really know a lot about him. We do not know what is fact and what is fiction.Was blackbeard his real name? When did he die? Where was he from? Exactly what did he do during his life? These are all questions I intend to get to the bottom of. This is the story of blackbeard the pirate.

His real name was Edward Teach. Actually it was common practice for pirates to give out fake names during piracy business.They did this to protect their real family names. His real name we may never know. He is presumed to be from Bristol, England. Not much is known about his early life. Some believe he was between 35-40 when he died.

One of the things Blackbeard achieved on the high seas was a blockade on Charleston,South Carolina Harbor in May of 1718. He had many demands such as money, medicine,and supplies. The blockade went on for weeks. Blackbeard eventually got what he asked for. Tired of piracy, the town hanged one of Blackbeard's friends Stede Bonnet. In 1718 Blackbeard ran the Queen Anne's Revenege aground.Taking only his treasure and favorite crew members he abandoned the ship. At Ockracoke island,Lieutenant Maynard of the Royal Navy found Blackbeard. A battle ensued between them. Overwhelmed by the firepower of the navy Blackbeard was killed. His body was thrown overboard and head cut off. Blackbeard's skull was displayed as a trophy.

His headquarters were located in Beaufort,North Carolina. He lived in a beautiful 2 story white house which is still around today. It is the oldest house in Beaufort. Some believe it is haunted. It is believed he stayed there with a 18 yr. old french common law wife. She was not a willing occupant. He got so mad at her one day that when he left the house he hanged her. He hung her on a tree outside of the house. Today some people say they can hear her screams. Smaller items from blackbeard's ship are on display in the North Carolina Maritime Museum.

Did Christopher Columbus's Crew Despise Him?

2010-09-01T06:56:00.000-07:00

Christopher Columbus set sail in 1492 to find a new route to the east. The reason being that the current route was long and dangerous. He left Spain with three ships and 90 men. He had hoped to find a new route by sailing across the Atlantic. They didn't have the maps and facts about geography that we have today.All they had were legends and their own imaginations. The morale of Columbus's crew was quickly fading and ready to turn on him. The following selection is a passage from his log.

Sunday,September 9th 1492
This day we completely lost sight of land, and many men sighed and wept for fear they would not see it again for a long time. I comforted them with great promises of lands and riches. To sustain their hope and dispel their fears of a long voyage, I decided to reckon fewer leagues than we actually made. I did this that they might not think themselves so great a distance from spain as they really were. For myself I will keep a confidential accurate reckoning.

I am having serious trouble with the crew, despite the signs of land that we have and those given to us by almighty God, the more God shows the men manifest signs that we are near land, the more their impatience and inconstancy increases, and the more indignant they become against me. All day long and all night long those who are awake and able to get together near close to talk to each other in circles, complaining that they will never be able to return home. They have said that it is insanity and suicidal on their part to risk their lives following the madness of a foreigner.

They have said that not only am I willing to risk my life just to become a great lord, but that I have deceived them to further my ambition. They have also said that because my proposition has been contradicted by so many wise and lettered men who considered it vain and foolish,that may excused for whatever might be done in the matter. Some feel that they have already arrived where men have never dared to sail and that they are not obliged to go to the end of the world, especially if they are delayed anymore and will not have sufficient provisions to return. I am told by a few trusted men that if I persist in going onward, the best course of action will be to throw me into the sea some night.

From: The Log of christopher columbus,translated by Robert H.Fuson.(Camden,Maine:International Marine Publishing,1987). Copyright 1987 by Robert H. Fuson.

Easter Island: The World's Most Remote Island

2010-08-20T08:56:00.000-07:00

It is small and located in the Pacific Ocean. This island received it's famous name in 1722 by the Dutch sea captain Jacob Roggeveen. He visited the island on Easter sunday and was the first european to visit the island.It is believed that the orginal inhabitants of the island were polynesian. At the time of their arrival the island was covered with trees and wildlife.Today that is not the case. Also less than 100 of them arrived.

The population grew because of the abundance of fish,birds,and plant food. Then the growing population outpaced the island's ability to renew itself ecologically. By the 1400s the forests were completely cut down, the springs dried up,and the birds disappeared from the island as well. With the depletion of wildlife food sources,declining crop yields, and no wood to build canoes famine set in. Then cannibalism set in. Chaos ensued because the chiefs and priests who ran the island could not feed themselves.During the 1700s rival clans began to topple each others statues.

Admiral Roggeveen,during his 1722 visit,reported the social strife and barren lands. That cultures famous feature are the stone statues called moai. 600 moai statues ,in various stages of completion, are scattered across the island. Some moai were 33 feet tall. Scholars are unable to explain the use of the moai statues.

What Happened to the Passengers of the Mary Celeste?

2010-07-26T12:22:00.000-07:00

History has many real and true mysteries. This is just one of them. It is a real headscratcher. Many historians to this day do not know exactly what happned. 125 years ago this ship was found floating and crewless in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean in good condition. What happend to the passengers on board has never been explained.On November 7,1872, the Mary Celeste was bound for Italy with a cargo of wines and liquors. The commander of the ship was Captain Benjamin Briggs. Also aboard the ship was his wife,daughter,and seven crew members. The Mary Celeste was found floating 600 miles off the coast of Gibralter on December 4,1872.Besides the passengers, the only other things missing were the ship's paper and chronometer. The last entry in the Captain's log gave no sign of anything about to take place.

One report claims that there were bloodied weapons on board when the ship was discovered. This would suggest that there was a pirate attack.Pirate attacks were very common at that time.Why weren't the money box and liquor taken if there was a pirate attack? There is also confusion about whether the lifeboat was strapped to the ship or not. Some other theories are that the entire crew was swept overboard by a large wave, that the crew of the ship Dei Gratia took over the ship and killed everyone onboard.

What happened to the passengers of the Mary Celeste? There is no clear answer as to what exactly happened.We can keep guessing but we may never know. What do you think happened?

US Geologist Sentenced to 8 yrs by Chinese Court

2010-07-16T13:47:00.000-07:00

American geologist Xue Feng was sentenced to eight years in a Chinese prison.His crime was gathering data on China's oil industry. Beijing intermediate People's court claimed that his actions endangered China's national security. Chinese officials claimed that Xue received documents on geological conditions of onshore oil wells and a database that gave coordinates of oil and gas wells belonging to China National Petroleum. Also that the information was sold to IHS a company that Xue works for. When he was being sentenced he was allowed only one family member in the court room. The U.S. ambassador to China attended the hearing. The U.S. Embassy issued a statement calling for Xue's immediate release and deportation to the U.S. The case has been dragging on for 2 and a half years. Agents from China's security agency detained him in 2007 and tortured him. IHS claimed that Chinese officials never notified them that they were doing something wrong. The information Xue collected was commonly available and the Chinese government controls access to that information. Xue Feng is currently appealing his conviction.

This case is a reminder of the dangers of doing business in China. The scary thing is Xue was just doing his job. Xue should not be in prison.He was just doing what he was told to by his employers.IHS are the ones who should be in trouble and not Xue Feng. At the same time Xue Feng should have did his homework and checked to see if what he was doing was OK. No matter what country you are doing business in it is common sense to check their laws. A business person who is overseas needs to know that country's laws and customs.Never assume anything.

The Guardians of China's First Emperor

2010-07-01T12:02:00.000-07:00

The Terra cotta warriors were the guardians of the first emperor of china. They were buried with the emperor to guard him in the afterlife. They are the most significant archaeological excavations of the 20th century. Excavations are ongoing. The warriors were discovered in 1974 by farmers. Over 7,000 pottery soldiers, horses,and chariots, have been unearthed from these pits. The first emperor of china constructed a mausoleum complex. The mausoleum complex contains horse stables, administrative buildings, cemeteries, and the tomb of the emperor. Found in the tomb were sculptures, and stone carved armor for humans& horses. Four pits were excavated to hold the Terra cotta army. Pit 2 includes U-shaped layout of chariots,Calvary, and infantry. The statues of the infantry soldiers range from 5 foot 8 in.-6 foot 2 in.

These life size statues were made over 2,000 years ago. Every single one of the warriors faces were carved individually and no two faces are the same. Only a small fraction has been uncovered. Archaeologists have just begun to excavate the third burial pit. Over 700,000 men took 36 years to create his Terra cotta army. The emperor was so proud of his tomb. He promptly murdered its creators to sustain a enigma. Each limb and head were created separately before being attached to the body.

66 yr old woman gives birth to triplets

2010-06-22T20:54:00.000-07:00

A woman who lives in india has given birth to triplets. Her name is Bhateri Devi and she is 66 yrs old. Her husband is 70 yrs. old. Their reason for having children at this age was that they needed someone to take over their land someday. They were unable to conceive until they found a fertility clinic 8 months ago. The procedure failed twice , but when the doctor planted three embryos in Bhateri, the procedure worked. Bhateri's doctor has had other patients 50 and over give birth at his clinic. The babies were three months premature.

One has to wonder about the future of these babies. Will their parents live long enough to see them turn 18 yrs old? Their father is already 70 yrs old. Will these babies lose their parents when they are 10 yrs old and become orphans? Life expectancy in India for women is 66 and men 71 yrs old. When a person has kids they need to be able to have the energy to keep up with them. A parent has to be able to live long enough to care for them until they can take care of themselves. Yes it is great to have kids but people need to think about the future of their kids. At least have guardians in place that will take care of the kids in case something happens to their parents.

Neda Agha-Soltan

2010-06-13T22:01:00.000-07:00

She comes from a middle class family.Neda graduated from Islamic Azhad University. She wanted to become a singer and musician.She studied the violin and was taking private voice lessons.Neda was working for her family's travel agency. Two months prior to her death, in turkey,she met her fiance Caspian Makan. What prompter her to join the protests was her anger over the election results.Her death was probably the most widely witnessed death. She was killed during the 2009 Iranian election. Her death was captured on video and quickly spread all over the Internet. There are three videos that captured her death.She was in the city of Tehran with three friends on their way to the protests.One of them was her music teacher. Her air conditioner wasn't working so she stopped her car and got out to escape the heat.Neda was standing and observing the protests when a Basij member shot her in the chest. The Basij member was on a civilian rooftop.She died on the way to the hospital.Protesters were able to take pictures of the man who killed her and took his ID card.She was buried at Behesht-e Zahra Cemetery in southern Tehran. Government authorities denied her a proper funeral. The Iranian government issued a ban on collective prayers in mosques for Neda. Not to mention Neda's family was threatened by authorities if they permitted a gathering to mourn her death. Following Neda's death her fiance was tortured and escaped to another country. In November 2009 supporters of the Iranian regime desecrated her grave.In December 2009 supporters of the Iranian government shot at the picture on her grave multiple times. Some members of the Iranian government are brainwashing people that it was a western plot and that the CIA were involved. Then Iranian government tried to make Neda's parents say that it wasn't the government who killed her. Her parents refused.HBO is airing a documentary about her life and death.

Lost Civilizations:The Mayans

2010-06-07T21:54:00.000-07:00

There are so many fascinating things about the Mayan civilization.The most fascinating thing about them is their sudden disappearance. The Mayans were the only ones in pre-Colombian Americas to have a fully developed written language. They also developed astronomy and calendrical systems.The Mayans also invented chocolate,herbal medicines,and basketball.They also had a complex society divided into classes and professions.The Mayans had hospitals,schools,and libraries. They also had big sports arenas.The Mayans wrote thousands of books and were established in 2600 B.C. Mayans had centers in Mexico,Belize,Guatemala,Honduras,and El Salvador. Major Mayan city-states were Tikal,Palenque,&Quirigua.They built religious centers and palaces for their rulers.The largest palace was in Cancuen.They participated in trade with the Zapotec,and other groups. In the 8th and 9th centuries the highly advanced Mayan centers went into decline.Then around 1000 A.D. they abandoned most of their cities. When the Spanish conquistadors arrived the Mayan cities were overgrown ruins.For some reason Chichen itza,which was built by the Mayans,was abandoned around 900A.D.Palenque was the first Mayan city to be abandoned.The Spanish ordered the Mayan books be burned.Only four Mayan books still exist but no one fully understands them.Over 80 theories attempt to explain the Mayan collapse. Some think there was a invasion or some sort of catastrophic event.Another theory suggests that there was a peasant uprising.The Maya still live in central America but what drove them from their highly advanced cities?

Israeli Flotilla Incident

2010-06-02T22:20:00.000-07:00

Israel on Monday attacked a boat traveling in international waters and carrying humanitarian supplies for Gaza. The incident killed nine people. According to Israeli officials things weren't as they seemed. Israeli officials said the boat's passengers were the aggressors and that Israeli Defense Forces were just defending themselves. The Israeli deputy ambassador to the united nations said," They cynically used the guise of humanitarian aid to send a message of hate and to implement violence." Palestinian Ambassador to the united nations condemned the attack. According to IHH,a humanitarian relief foundation who is affiliated with a hard-line Islamic political movement, the boarding of ships took place in international waters. Israeli Defense Forces claims that the activists used clubs,knives,and metal rods.A senior Israeli military official claims this was planned.The free Gaza organization claims that troops opened fire on unarmed civilians.

What do you think of this incident?

Cannibalism in England?

2010-05-31T19:53:00.000-07:00

A man who calls himself the crossbow cannibal has been charged with the murder of Suzanne Blamires of England. The crossbow cannibal has been charged with the death of two other women.Blamires remains were found last week. Near the spot where Blamires remains were found the police of England discovered more human remains on Saturday. Stephen Griffiths has been charged with murder of the three women who were prostitutes. The other two women were Shelley Armitage 31,and Susan Rushworth 43. Stephen Griffiths ,who is 40, has identified himself as the crossbow cannibal.

This story is unbelievable! I mean murdering someone is bad enough but cannibalism ? Then the guy is just murdering prostitutes.It reminds me of Jack the ripper which also happened in England. No one deserves that. Crime happens all over the world.No country is exempt from it. What kind of sick weirdo does that? Let me know what you think of this by posting a comment. I will post more blogs about this story if anything new develops.

How did King Tut Die ?

2010-05-25T21:36:00.000-07:00

His life has always fascinated people. Why? Well his death is a mystery and some believe there is a curse on his tomb. Tutankhamen became king of Egypt at 9 yrs old. Some of his life is still a mystery. No one knows for sure who his parents are. It is believed that Akhenaten was his father. He was believed to be the 12th ruler in Egypt's 18th dynasty. Once he was king he married his half sister Ankhesenamun. Her mother was Queen Nefertiti. He died when he was 18 yrs old. When he was unwrapped severe head trauma was discovered. No one is for sure how his head injury occurred. Some think his head injury was accident but others believe it was an assassination. He left no heir to throne when he died. Female mummified infants were found in his tomb. Most of his rule was governed by high ranking aids including his wife's grandfather. In 2005 testing was done and it was believed he died from an infection in his broken leg. After his death his wife's grandfather took over as Pharaoh and married his own granddaughter. But she disappeared after they were married. In 2010 DNA testing was done on King Tut. It is believed he died from a combination of severe malaria and the fracture in his left thighbone discovered in 2005. This is the first time DNA testing has been allowed on egyptian mummies. Early DNA results show that those female infants were in fact his daughters.

Macedonia's Stonehenge

2010-05-21T10:47:00.000-07:00

Macedonia has many ancient sites. It has about 4,485 archaeological sites from many historical periods. In 2001 a local archaeologist discovered kokino. It is a 4,000 yr old megalithic observatory from the bronze age. NASA claims it is the 4th oldest ancient observatory. It is known as the Macedonian Stonehenge. NASA also claims it is one of the most important ancient observatories. The observatory had several stone seats,a specific place for monitoring the moon&stars,and holes through which the movement of the sun& moon could be recorded.There are parts of the observatory well preserved. This is how the observatory worked:the ancients would use special stone markers to map the movement of the sun and moon on the eastern horizon.Some believe that the most important spiritual rituals for the locals during the bronze age could have taken place there. The observatory defines the four main positions of the moon. It also defines three main positions of the sun.

Samurai Warriors

2010-05-11T10:09:00.000-07:00

Samurai warriors were needed to defend feudal lords and their riches in Feudal Japan.In the early feudal era the samurai code emphasized loyalty to one's master over family. That changed in 1100 because by then the samurai held military power and political power due to the emperor losing power. In 1156 when Emperor Toba died his sons fought over the country in a cival war.In the end the imperial office lost the last of its remaining power. During this cival war two samurai clans rose to power,the taira clan and the minamoto clan. Both clans fought each other in a cival war in 1160.The taira clan won and established the first samurai based government or shogunate.The minamoto clan were banished from the capital.In the Kamakura period the two clans fought each other again in 1180.The minamoto clan won that war. The minamoto established the kamakura shogunate and ruled most of japan until 1333. Kublai Khan the ruler of China, invaded in 1274. His 600 ships were destroyed because of a typhoon. The emperor was exiled in 1331and returned in 1333 and overthrew the shogunate.In 1336 Ashikaga Takauji reestablished samuraui rule. By 1460 the regional constables called daimyo ignored orders from the shogun and backed different successors to the imperial throne. In 1467 squabbling erupted between the younger brother of shogun ashikaga yoshimasa and his son. This caused the onin war and lasted 10 yrs.As a result of that war thousands died,the capital kyoto was burned to the ground and the warring states period came after. Between 1467 and 1573 all the provinces were fighting. The meiji restoration in 1868 was the beginning of the end for the samurai. The meiji emperor died away with the samurai and moved the capital from kyoto to tokyo. In 1877 ex samurai revolted against the new government,lost and the samurai era was over.

The samurai was legally entitled to cut down any commoner who failed to honor him properly. In the samurai culture was the concept called bushido. The core beliefs of bushido were honor and freedom from the fear of death. Bushido means the way of the warrior. Warriors with the bushido spirit would rather die honorably than surrender. Out of this disregard for death came the tradition called sepukku. In which defeated warriors and officials would commit suicide by disembowling themselves with a short sword.

Samurai used swords mainly to finish off wounded enemies. The early samurai were archers and fought on horses or on foot. They used long bows. After the invasions of kubla khan,samurai started using swords more. Samurai then wore two swords called daisho. One long called the katana and the other short called wakizashi. Today japenese people honor the memory of the samurai. Nowadays the samurai code is used in boardrooms instead.

The story of Cinco de Mayo

2010-05-05T09:26:00.000-07:00

Some people believe that Cinco DE mayo is a Mexican independence day. That is wrong. First Mexico was under Spanish rule until 1821. After that Mexico fought with the U.S. Then had another civil war within its own borders. The country could not pay back its loans to Spain,France,and other countries. Those countries then decided to invade Mexico as a result. Napoleon the third wanted more than just money. He wanted to overthrow the Mexican government. Once Spain knew what the French were up to they withdrew. In 1862 french troops landed in Veracruz and were headed to Mexico city. What the french were not expecting was that a few thousand Mexican troops were at the city of Puebla waiting. The French reached Puebla may 5 on the way to Mexico city.The Mexicans were outnumbered but nevertheless the Mexicans killed a few thousand french and the remaining french retreated. Word of this victory spread throughout Mexico and Cinco de Mayo was declared a national holiday. Once Napoleon knew of this defeat he sent 30,000 more troops into Mexico and a year later The Mexicans were defeated. Even under French occupation the Mexicans still celebrated Cinco De Mayo.In 1867 the french army was overthrown. Mexicans still celebrate it today.

Hobbits in Real Life

2010-05-02T21:27:00.000-07:00

We think we have discovered all there is to know about the human race. I am glad to know that there is more to learn. In the LOTR movies there were short people called hobbits. They were just like the taller humans except shorter. We thought people like that didn't exist in real life. Well they did but their name is Homo Floresiensis and scientists nicknamed them hobbits. To be clear they weren't exactly like the hobbits in lotr. The only thing they have in common with the hobbits in lotr is their height.The hobbits scientists discovered lived in Indonesia. They believe they became extinct thousands of years ago. They lived in cave called liang bua on the island of Flores and were discovered in 2003. The villagers claim that the hobbits lived until 300 yrs ago. The archaeologists who discovered them believe that the hobbits lived alongside homo sapiens(modern humans). Partial skeletons were found and a complete skull. The scientists are not sure how they died. There is a slight possibility that descendants of the hobbits could still be alive. There is debate about whether they are a distinct species from modern humans. One of the skeleton remains found were 3ft. 6 in. tall.This is even shorter than pygmies. The people who discovered the hobbits believe they had advanced behavior. There is evidence in the cave that they used fire for cooking and may have been able to make tools. They had no chins. The villagers claim that some of these so called hobbits were not nice and often stole from villages. I am glad that new discoveries are still being made in the world.

Taxes in Ancient Times

2010-04-28T22:09:00.000-07:00

This may seem like a boring subject but it's interesting. Anyone who may come across the headline of this blog might think who cares? Sometimes when we study the past we better understand where we are,why we are at the place we are at,and also where we might be going. Mostly everyone in the world pays taxes. We might be tempted to think that we pay too much money in taxes and it is no fair. Actually people in ancient times had it worse.People in ancient Rome could be taxed if they owned nothing. In ancient times tax collectors went everywhere. If a person was a farmer the tax collector would take some of the crops and animals or all of it. If a person were getting divorced they would pay a tax and families paid taxes on burials.Payment of taxes was paid in anything not just money. Taxes could even be paid in labor. In Athens there were no direct taxes on income. Wealthy citizens of Athens paid for entertainment,public services,parks, and buildings. In Greece artisans and merchants paid by their trade. Collectors charged whatever they thought each trade was worth. When Greece conquered Egypt,if a man was late in paying his taxes, collectors would beat him, and hit him for each day he was late. Sometimes a ear or nose would be cut off for a tax cheater.Romans came up with so many ways to take money and goods from their people. Since the numbers we use today did not exist then, keeping records were difficult. Rome at that time ruled Egypt,Israel, Spain, and Britain. So what they would do is sell the collection rights to publicans. Then it was up to the publican to collect taxes as best he could. To make matters worse publicans took money from peasants as well and sometimes using torture on peasants they thought were holding out on them. If families couldn't pay their debts then they had to sell their children. In Judea there was a head tax on men over 14 and women over 12 yrs. old.In the middle ages taxes were not on individuals but on communities/villages. When there were wars anyone and anything might be taken by collectors.

The Story of Captain William Kidd

2010-04-24T20:53:00.000-07:00

    Captain William Kidd was a Scottish Sailor born in 1645. When his father died he moved to New York. In 1689 he became a member of a English-french pirate crew that sailed in the Caribbean. Then Kidd and other crew members ousted the captain of that ship and renamed the ship "Blessed William" with Kidd as the new captain. Captain Kidd and the "Blessed William" became part of a small fleet to defend the English colony of Nevis from the French. The governor at the time did not want to pay them instead he told them to take their pay from the French. Kidd and his crew attacked the French island of Mariegalante, destroyed the town, and took about 2,000 pounds sterling. On orders from the province of New York,Massachusetts during the War of Grand Alliance, Kidd captured an enemy privateer. A privateer was a private person or private warship authorized by a country's government by letters of marque to attack foreign shipping. Then while in the West Indies a notorious pirate stole Kidd's ship.
    In 1695 Governor Bellomont asked Captain Kidd to attack enemy French ships and anyone else who associated themselves with pirates. Some of the voyage was paid for by the most powerful men in England.Captain Kidd was presented with a letter of marque and it was signed by King William III of England. The new ship Adventure Galley weighed over 284 tons,34 cannons,and 150 men. Then because of something Kidd had failed to do much of his crew ended up in the naval service. So on his way back to New York he captured a french vessel  which was legal under his commission.The crew he picked in New York were former pirates and hardened criminals.
     In 1696 Kidd sailed to Madagascar and to the strait of Bab-El-mandeb but found no pirates.Supposedly he then attacked a mughal convoy and was beaten off. If that was true then that was his first act of piracy.When Kidd's ship anchored most of his crew left and the ones that stayed threatened mutiny.In 1697 Kidd killed one of his crew members. They had an argument about whether to attack a dutch ship.If Kidd had it would have been an act of piracy and he refused.Kidd heaved an iron bound bucket at the crew member and he fell to the deck with a fractured skull.The crew member died the next day.In the seventeenth century murder was not allowed against crew members.Kidd was not concerned because he had friends in England that could get him off the hook.Many escaped prisoners reported that Captain Kidd used acts of savagery against them.Actually theses acts were committed by his crew members. One day while Captain Kidd and another captain were talking privately in Kidd's cabin the crew members ransacked the trading ship Mary and tortured some crew members. When Kidd found out he was angry and forced them to return the stolen goods.
    A royal navy officer called Kidd a pirate because he refused to hand over 30 crew members to serve the navy. In 1698 he raised french colours and took a Armenian ship filled with gold,silver,silks.The captain was an Englishman named Wright who had purchased passes from the french east India company. The french east India company promised him the protection of the french crown. Once Kidd realized that the captain was English he tried to persuade his crew to return the ship but they refused.Their claim was that what they had done was legal since Kidd was commissioned to take french ships.That Armenian ship counted as french if it had french passes. So to keep control over his crew Kidd kept the ship and goods. When word of this reached England, Kidd then was confirmed a pirate. Many naval commanders were ordered to go after Kidd and his accomplices for piracy. Kidd kept the french passes and the Armenian ship as well.
   Kidd set sail for Madagascar.Once he got there he ran into Culliford. The same pirate who stole his ship years before. There is some dispute as to how Kidd reacted to seeing this him.Some say he made peace with him and others say he tried to attack. Most of Kidd's men abandoned him for Culliford. With the rest of his crew he returned to the Caribbean aboard the Armenian ship.
   Before he returned to New York City he learned that he was a wanted pirate and men-of-war were looking for him. Kidd realized that the Armenian ship he was using was a marked vessel. He switched to another boat before returning to New York City. It is rumored that he stopped by Gardiners Island and buried some of his treasure there. He did this hoping to use the knowledge of its whereabouts as a bargaining tool.Bellomont was afraid of being accused of piracy himself. Bellomont lured Kidd into Boston on false promises of clemency.Bellomont knew that the best chance of saving his own neck was to present Kidd to England in chains. On July 6,1699 Bellomont ordered him arrested. Kidd and his wife were both imprisoned. Kidd spent most of his time in  solitary confinement in Stone Prison. Kidd's imprisonment was so harsh that it drove him temporarily insane. After a year, Kidd was sent to England for questioning. The new Tory minister hoped to use Kidd as a tool to discredit the Whigs who backed him. Kidd however refused to give any names hoping that by doing this they would intercede on his behalf. The Tory leaders sent him to stand trial before the High Court of Admiralty in London for charges of piracy and murder.While awaiting trial, Kidd sent letters to King William requesting clemency.
    Kidd was shocked to learn that he was charged with murder. He had lawyers to assist him.The french passes could not be produced at the trial.The french passes mysteriously disappeared. If Kidd would have named his backers at the trial he would have saved his life. Once he received the death penalty, he made one last attempt to save his life by writing a letter to the speaker of the house of commons.In this letter he offered to take persons appointed by the house to the location of his buried treasure. On May 23rd 1701, the day of his execution,Kidd had drank so much brandy and rum until he could no longer stand by himself. A huge crowd gathered to see Kidd get hanged. The rope around his neck broke.A new rope was tied around his neck and he was hung.His body was hung on the gallows until three tides had washed over his body before being cut down and pronounced dead. This was the maritime law for convicted pirates.His body was tarred and placed inside a metal cage as a warning to all future pirates. His body was displayed like this for almost 2 yrs until the birds pecked his body to the bone.
   Kidd's backers were embarrassed by his trial and participated in the effort to convict him. The two french passes that were missing at the trial were found in the twentieth century in London.