Collections

The causes of WWII (1939-45) were many and varied, but there was a chain of international crises in Europe, which finally degenerated into a conflict that ultimately spread to engulf most of the world. In this collection of resources, we...

The first female warrior attested to historically is Queen Ahhotep I of Egypt (l. c. 1570-1530 BCE) who put down a rebellion by the Hyksos when her son, Ahmose I, was campaigning against the Nubians. In literature, the first mention of women...

Deities representing the concepts of rebirth and renewal have been a vital aspect of the human condition for thousands of years. Early animistic belief systems venerated the sun, which later became associated with powerful deities, such as...

In this collection of resources we look at the origins of Christmas and the story of the Nativity, the pagan traditions that have influenced how the holiday has been celebrated ever since, and how different eras have found new ways to add...

The Norse tradition of celebrating Yule (Yuletide=Yule Time) influenced many of the later traditions now associated with Christmas. "Yuletide" appears in Christmas carols, is often used interchangeably with "Christmas", and many still celebrate...

Religious festivals have featured as a central aspect of civilization for thousands of years, the earliest thought to be celebrations of the New Year and the concept of rebirth and new beginnings that accompanied it. The first such festival...

Churches around the world are not only houses of worship but offer a wide array of architectural styles and forms, from modest structures, such as St. John's Church in Waimate North, New Zealand, to the striking artistic innovations and ornamentation...

In this gallery, we present many fine examples of paintings from the Mughal Empire (1526-1857). Espoused and cultivated by the Mughal court, the artform married the bold styles of classical Indian miniature painting, dating as far back as...

Ghosts, demons, spirits, and monsters have been haunting humanity for at least 3,500 years. The so-called “Ghost Tablet” (c. 1500 BCE), from ancient Babylon, depicts a woman leading a ghost to the underworld and amulets from earlier periods...

The myths and legends of ancient Greece included a wide variety of fearsome creatures and monsters, such as dragons, giants, demons, and multiformed beings like the sphinx, minotaur, centaurs, and griffins. These terrifying entities often...