An explanation of how to blót. A stunning archaeological discovery in Ukraine that provides a glimpse of ancient Europe. And an examination of what it means to be devoted to a deity even if you aren't "feeling" it. It's Watery Wednesday, our weekly segment for news about the Pagan community! All this and more for the Pagan News Beagle!
Figuring out ancient people's spiritual practices is hard. Even if we have written records that have survived the centuries, the people who wrote them aren't around any more to tell us how to interpret them.
In the case of the ancient Minoans, we can't read what they wrote in Linear A, so all we have to go on is archaeological finds. And if those archaeological finds aren't genuine, then what we figure out about Minoan spirituality may be wrong as well.
History changes. I mean, the things that actually happened way-back-when don't really change, but our interpretation of them sure does. It's amazing how much our understanding of Minoan culture has changed in the century or so since Sir Arthur Evans first uncovered the ruins of the temple complex at Knossos.
For instance, Evans was caught up in the ancient Egypt craze that had been bubbling along for decades as early archaeologists began uncovering Egyptian artifacts and translating Egyptian hieroglyphic texts. He considered Egypt to be the high civilization of the ancient world.
Archaeologists pour over artifacts recovered from a recently discovered Neolithic grave. The impact of climate change is considered as well as how best to combat it. And the scientific community is spellbound by a new discovery about human anatomy. It's Earthy Thursday, our weekly segment on science and Earth-related news! All this and more for the Pagan News Beagle!
Ariadne's Tribe harks back to the Minoan civilization of ancient Crete: its beautiful towns, its sprawling temple complexes, its sacred caves and mountaintops. We know about the ancient Minoans - the way they lived, worked, and worshiped - because of a century's worth of efforts by archaeologists to uncover the remains of this fascinating ancient culture.
But sometimes these irreplaceable traces of ancient civilization are endangered by the modern desire for profit. A luxury holiday resort development that was turned down by the Greek government in 2011 has now received approval and will soon begin construction in Cavo Sidero, the beautiful wild peninsula on the northeastern coast of Crete. I understand the reasoning: The Greek economy is still in dire straits and anything that will bring in tourist income looks like a saving grace.
Scientists assemble a new map of the world's living organisms and their relationships to one another. Crows are recruited to demonstrate their usage of tools. And the impact of global warming on Alaska's permafrost is considered. It's Earthy Thursday, our weekly segment on science and Earth-related news! All this and more for the Pagan News Beagle!
Evidence of ancient rituals are uncovered in Sweden. The neuroscience of sleep loss is examined. And the accuracy of the movie The Martian is checked. It's Earthy Thursday, our weekly segment on science and Earth-related news. All this and more for the Pagan News Beagle!
Thesseli
You should post on Substack too, where you won't have to worry about being deplatformed or kicked off the site for your views. (Also, I've archived th...
David Dashifen Kees
I feel it necessary to state, unequivocally, that anti-trans points of view are not an essential part of Paganism. As a trans Pagan myself who helps ...
Mr. Hengwis, Thanks for sharing! There's just so much we don't know about Bronze Age Eurasian societies. It saddens me to thin
