Month: August 2019

The Atharvaveda

The oldest scriptures of Hinduism and the most ancient religious texts in an Indo-European language, the Veda consists of four types of literature. Most important are the four Samhitas, which are the basic Vedas. The fourth Samhita, the Atharvaveda, was written at a later period and included in the canon only after a long struggle. Influenced by popular religion, it included spells and incantations for the practice of magic. What some of the purposes of the spells? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Lambton Worm

One of northeast England’s most famous fairy tales, the story of the Lambton Worm opens with a youth named John Lambton skipping church to go fishing, whereupon he catches a strange eel-like creature and drops it down a well. Lambton eventually goes on to join the Crusades and returns years later to find that the worm has become a giant beast. A witch tells him how to defeat the creature but warns him that he must kill the first living thing he sees after he does so. How does the story end? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Follies

In architecture, a folly is an eccentric, generally nonfunctional and often deliberately unfinished structure erected to enhance a romantic landscape. Follies were particularly popular in England in the 18th and early 19th centuries. They resemble medieval towers, ruined castles overgrown with vines, or crumbling classical temples complete with fallen, eroded columns. In the US, the term has been applied to ornate gazebos. How did the Irish Potato Famine lead to the building of several follies? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Farnese Palace

One of the most magnificent palaces of Rome, the Palazzo Farnese, or Farnese Palace, was designed by Antonio da Sangallo for Cardinal Alessandro Farnese, who later became Pope Paul III. Built of huge stone blocks plundered from ancient monuments, it was begun before 1514 and, after the architect’s death, was continued by Michelangelo and completed by Giacomo della Porta. After the Farnese family died out, the king of Naples gained possession of the palace. What has it housed since 1874? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Fête des la Cuisinières

With the possible exception of the celebration at Carnival, this is the most colorful event of the year in the French West Indian island of Guadeloupe. The Women Cooks’ Festival begins with a morning service at the cathedral and a parade of women in Creole dress. The highlight of the festival is the five-hour feast prepared by the dozen or so members of the Association of Women Chefs. The Creole dishes they prepare include blaffs (a fish or shellfish dish in a sauce), boudins (sausage), and crabes farcis (stuffed crabs). Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary