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The Mabinogion is based upon a 14th century manuscript known as ‘Red book of Hergest’. The work is a collection of eleven tales of early Welsh literature and draws upon the mystical word of the Celtic people intertwining myths, folklore, tradition and history. These tales are thought to have a much more ancient provenance, being passed down through the generations by word of mouth by the early Welsh bards. These early Welsh or Celtic storytellers wandered Britain and beyond,

The name of Newgate is notorious in the annals of London’s history. Developing out of a collection of cells in the old City Walls to the west (above the ‘New Gate’), it was begun in 1188 during the reign of Henry II to hold prisoners prior to their trial before the Royal Judges. The name passed into infamy as a byword for despair; an oubliette from which the hangman’s rope was often the only way out. Robbery, theft, non-payment of debts; all were crimes which could land you i

Back in the 19th century, some books were bound in a particular type of leather. Human skin, sourced from unfortunate and unwilling souls was used to bind medical books and personal journals. The practice is called Anthropodermic bibliopegy and was seemingly common from the 16th to the 19th century. Most of the books were bound by doctors who sourced the skin from their deceased patients or executed criminals. With the help of modern technology, we have identified a total of

We’ve all seen them, joke t-shirts that state the gist of various world religions or philosophies by reference to the aforementioned bodily function. Clever they aren’t, but the form adapts to another, more tasteful formulation (pun most definitely intended) in the list above, which briefly describes the philosophical programs of sixteen prominent Western thinkers with reference to that universally beloved food, the doughnut. To wit: pre-Socratic Greek philosopher Heraclitus

Growing deforestation is a big issue for the sustainability of our environment. But individuals like famed photographer Sebastião Ribeiro Salgado and his wife Lélia are trying to save it. The Brazilian couple started a project to plant two million trees and now, 20 years later, the seeds have grown into a lush forest in the Minas Gerais region of Brazil. It all started in 1994 when Salgado had just returned home from a traumatic project covering the devastations of the genoci

In 1974, John Lennon would take to the main stage of a huge stadium for the very last time and leave the entire world wanting more. The singer would join Elton John on the glittering stage of Madison Square Garden to perform three wonderful tunes, including The Beatles’ trippy classic from Sgt. Pepper ‘Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds’ — and it was all because of a bet. Lennon had avoided the stage for a long while before joining Elton on the stage. Having decided with The Beatl

On May 18, 1804, Napoleon proclaimed himself emperor, and made Josephine Empress. His coronation ceremony took place on December 2, 1804, in the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris, with incredible splendour and at considerable expense, in the illustrious Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Despite already having absolute power through his position of First Consul for Life, Napoleon chose to hold a lavish and elaborate ceremony as show of strength to cement the legitimacy of his regi

Before the division of Cyprus in 1974, Varosha – a resort in Famagusta – was booming. The rich and famous were drawn by some of the best beaches on the island. Richard Burton and Brigitte Bardot all dropped by – the Argo Hotel on JFK Avenue was said to be Elizabeth Taylor’s favourite. But 40 years ago, after years of inter-ethnic violence culminating in a coup inspired by Greece’s ruling military junta, Turkey invaded Cyprus and occupied the northern third of the island. As i

By the start of the 20th century, Alfred Loewenstein was firmly established as one of the most powerful financiers in the world. He made his immense fortune by acting as a broker between various industries and the financial system. He also invested in several companies across Europe and was one of the pioneers of the concept of the « holding company». The story begins on the evening of July 4, 1928. On that day, Alfred and his employees boarded a private plane at Croydon Air