Legends Religion Spirituality

A lot of ink has been spilled covering the lives of history's most influential figures, but how much of the forest is lost for the trees? In Charles River Editors' Legends of the Middle Ages series, readers can get caught up to speed on the lives of the most important medieval men and women in the time it takes to finish a commute, while learning interesting facts long forgotten or never known.

Among all the various figures in 19th century America who left controversial legacies, it is hard to find one as influential as Joseph Smith (1805-1844), the founder of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Mormonism, and the Latter Day Saint movement. Revered as a prophet on the level of Moses by some, reviled as a perpetrator of large-scale fraud by others, what everyone can agree on is that Joseph Smith founded a religious movement that played a crucial role in the settlement of the West, especially in Utah.

Next to Joseph Smith, Brigham Young is one of the best known Mormon leaders and perhaps the most important. After Smith's death, it was Young who led Mormon pioneers westward in a journey that the Latter Day Saints often likened to the Exodus, and Young became popular as "American Moses". At the same time, Young and his group were involved in a seemingly never ending list of controversies, both of their own making and the misconceptions of so many Americans who were unfamiliar with the religion.

What is it about dragons that almost every country in the world has their own version of this mythical creature? Why is it that countries that are on opposite sides of the world have dragons that have relatively the same features? Is this evidence that these mythical beasts did not just exist in the imagination of people from centuries past? All these questions and more will be answered in this audiobook. If you have always been fascinated with dragons, and you want to learn more about them, then this is the audiobook for you.

The American South has given birth to many of the nation's great stories and legends. From the earliest Colonial times, it's been a place of mystery, replete with disappearing colonies and strange apparitions in the woods, but the South's long and proud history has always had a darker, and stranger, side to it. One of America's most famous mysteries was its first. Despite the fact he had left over 100 colonists at the island of Roanoke in 1587, John White returned to literally nothing, with all traces of the settlement gone.

Thunderbirds are giant birds which have been known by the North American Indians from time immemorial. These birds are part of the culture, totem poles, and Indian history and mythology. The giant birds have also been seen in modern times. Some observers say they are just giant, regular birds, while others say they have the appearance of pterodactyls. In this book, we review American Indian beliefs and legends about these giant birds. We also review the many reports not only in North America, but all over the world of giant birds and/or flying reptiles.

Today, the Salem Witch Trials are often remembered as being a relic of a superstitious past. Salem has transformed itself into a tourist haven and Halloween destination by capitalizing off the Salem Witch trials. But it was deadly serious in 1692, when 19 men and women found themselves taken to "Gallows Hill" and hanged for being witches.

The oceans of the world have always had an air of mystery. About 71% of the Earth's surface is covered by water, and until the 20th century no one had plumbed its depths. Even today the bigger seas and oceans remain a largely unexplored frontier, with new species being discovered every year. Thus it comes as no surprise that countless legends have arisen of strange creatures lurking in the depths.

The Middle Ages in Europe were some of the most precarious centuries in recorded history, bristling with war, excitement, and chaos. The Western Roman Empire had crumbled, territories were rapidly expanding, and heavy ploughs, hourglasses, spectacles, tidal mills, and more pioneering inventions were popping up across the continent. It was also a time of extreme prejudice, when women were treated as second-class citizens. Their only purpose in life was to procreate by the dozen.

The US Census Bureau defines the Midwest as consisting of a dozen states: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. Outsiders often deride the region, and for many who have never been there, America's heartland is just a bunch of "flyover states" with little influence, little history, and little interest.

At a time in antiquity when most of Europe was covered with forests and wandering tribes, Mexico had already developed complex civilizations, beginning with the Olmecs and followed by the Maya, a civilization with advanced knowledge of medicine, engineering and astronomy. The Maya calculated the precession of the equinoxes and cycles of the Pleiades, on which they based their year, since they believed they had come from that constellation.

Ireland has a rich folklore. Everyone knows about the fairy folk and leprechauns and many have heard of the fearsome banshee. There are also the usual ghost stories found in every old land. The stranger side of the Emerald Isle goes much deeper than that, however, with tales of phantom armies marching through the sky, sea monsters swimming in the waters around the island, and stories of strange powers and dark magic.

It's a place of new beginnings and heartbreaking endings. A place where battles and bloodshed have weaved a history destined to be retold. And beneath the graves of many left behind lies the bodies of restless spirits who still roam the streets, trapped by the memories of another time. A time in 1836 when the Wilderness was given a new name.

The Holy Grail is one of the most famous relics of Christianity, but also one of the least understood. Today, it is mostly associated with Christ's Last Supper, possibly used during the meal as a serving cup. The gospels in the New Testament specifically mention the Holy Chalice that Jesus used to serve wine, so it's no surprise that images of the Holy Grail depict a similar kind of cup.

A collection of 22 supernatural tales about the old seaport of Whitby on England's beautiful and mysterious North East Coast. Stories include tales about ghosts, vampires, the fairy folk ,and the ancient customs and superstitions of the town's sea-folk, all of which paint a suitably spectral sketch of the ghostly goings on in this famous old town over the centuries.

Do you like angels, or are you curious about them and how they came to be? Do you wish to learn about the origins of angels as shaped by history and mythology? If so, then this is the right book for you. Angels have been a critical part of humanity for as long as we can imagine. Often depicted as benevolent beings, they have been at the center of many religious texts—especially in Abrahamic religions—Christianity, especially.

Have you always been curious about demons and where they came from? Do you wish to understand the mythology and history that has shaped how we view demons today? If yes, then this book will answer all your demon-related questions. Demons have been part of human history, ever since we began believing in the concept of goodness by God. They are often depicted as evil, supernatural entities, and have been majorly featured in religious texts, most famously, in the Christian Bible.

Arthur Edward Waite examines the classic Legend of San Graal (or the Holy Grail), as it was known in both Great Britain and France. He looks at similarities, writes about Percival, and quotes from Tennyson. He discusses the suppression of the Knights Templar by Pope Clement in 1307. He also looks at what role Christianity plays in all of this. During the course of his exploration, Waite likens the knights' quest for the Holy Grail to the candidate's journey through the initiatory degrees in Freemasonry.

Brother Mackey discusses this rich and elaborate mythology within masonry, the inclusion into our mysteries of which is based off of a single mention in the Book of Kings. The explores the symbolism of advancement from a lower to a higher place, the movement from darkness to light and other such masonic allegories associated with the winding staircase. He also discusses the porch, the number of steps, Pythagoras, and more.

London is one of the great cities of Europe, a center of commerce, art, and science for more almost 2,000 years. Visitors today are treated to world-class museums, pulsing nightlife, and fine dining. But one does not have to search far beyond this prosperous and modern façade to glimpse an older and more unusual London; in fact everywhere one looks, ancient traditions and old patterns emerge.