The Fairy Midwife and the Magic Ointment

© Melanie Warren

An old woman in the cottage gave the midwife a box of ointment and asked her to anoint the baby all over, but to not get any of the ointment in her own eyes.

Dark Side of the Sun: A Brief Guide to Midsummer Lore in Britain & Ireland

By by simonwakefield - https://www.flickr.com/photos/simonwakefield/3149066878/ (cache of original license), CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6029740

Each morning the sun rolls across the sky. In Estonia it was the hatched egg of the enchanted swallow bird, an emu’s egg bursting into flames in Australia, and a golden piece of bacon for the Nama people of South Africa. In the evening, it descends into the sea, as a bridegroom or warrior, golden rays transformed into spears or robes of light, hissing with heat as the waters close over it, before swimming back to the east. Sometimes in gloom-shrouded nights, we may imagine it will never return and we will be plunged into unyielding darkness, but still it rises and always will, at least for the next five billion years or so!

The Human Heart in the Middle Ages and the Practice of Ablation – or Treatment of the Dead for Valentine’s Day

Sacred Heart, All Saints Catholic Church (St. Peters, Missouri). By Nheyob - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=34226009

As Valentine’s Day comes around, spare a passing thought for that ubiquitous red heart that has come to symbolize the event. Historically speaking, there is a lot more than is at the surface for that emblem of love.

By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. more information

The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this.

Close