Legends & Folklore

Henry Wells and William Fargo launched the Wells, Fargo & Co. bank in San Francisco in 1852, 4 years after the Gold Rush began. The bank became very successful very quickly, survived the crash...

Dowsing with a pendulum originates from antiquity, stemming from pagan and orthodox societies. Pendulums can be used for dowsing to find earth energies, such as water or fire lines found...

Mythology provided a lens for ancient Romans to understand their civilization and its origins. It also helped the Romans to incorporate the stories of the Greeks. In addition, mythology was...

Everyone knows the infamous Jolly Roger--the skull and crossbones flag which pirates fly to announce their murderous intent . Though pirates have been around for thousands of years, the Jolly...

Schools are banning colored jelly bracelets, also called 'sex bracelets," because of a game surrounding their wearing; children and teenagers wear colored bracelets symbolizing sexual acts they...

Today we understand fossils to be traces of ancient life we can use to understand evolutionary relationships between extinct and modern organisms. But fossils were once thought to have...

The United States flew three different flags during the Civil War, adding stars as states joined the Union. President Abraham Lincoln would not allow stars representing the Confederate states to...

July 1863's battle in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, was a significant political and military achievement for the Union. The war was not going well for Abraham Lincoln politically, and he was desperate...

Medieval cures were hit-and-miss and often relied on crude medical procedures that were anything but curative. In an era of rampant blood-letting and feverish attempts to balance the body's four...

In the days of yore, pirates sailed the high seas in search of fortune and adventure. One of their most valuable navigational tools was the trusty spyglass.

Brother against brother, they fought for change or the right to keep their way of life. The civil war brought long casualty lists and many battles but one unplanned meeting would change the path...

The origin of the name "Idaho" is a mystery. Though several theories have been presented, none can be affirmed with certainty.

On the Big Island of Hawaii lies the largest volcano in the world, Mauna Loa. Many myths and legends surround this volcano but the most famous myths of all are related to the Hawaiian fire...

"Two peas in a pod" is a popular idiom used to describe two items or people that appear close or similar. It derives from the fact that two peas from the same pod are nearly identical and unable...

Sacagawea (sometimes written Sacajawea) was a Shoshone Indian woman born in Lemhi County, Idaho, who helped explorers Lewis and Clark make their way to the Pacific Ocean and back. Little is known...

Tell you about my UFO sighting

When the 13th falls on a Friday, which happens from one to three times a year, you can expect to hear comments and jokes about all the rotten things that are bound to occur on that day. Most of...

People who are born under the Virgo sign have birthdays between August 23rd to September 23rd and their astrological sign is the "Virgin." One of the main characteristic that defines Virgo, is...

Yarrr! Sailin' under thar blue sky, nothin like it. Oh! Why hello there lad? Who ye be? Are you now? Well lad, I know ye wants to be be a pirate. Everyone wants to be a pirate. Even yarr mother....

Misconceptions abound about what magic is. Many people think that magic is "evil" or that is just smoke and mirrors performed on stage to make things disappear. Magic spells are real and they have...

Known as "Cluain na Gclai" in Gaelic, the Irish region of Mount Talbot was renamed in 1656 by Sir Henry Talbot of Malahide.

The moon never actually changes colors. Humans perceive it as being different colors due to atmospheric changes, the moon's position in the sky, pollution or the seasonal tilt of the Earth.

There are natural and healthy ways to add a little spice to your love life and enhance your libido without the help of strong medicine or pills. All you need to do is mix certain herbs that have a...

Colors aren't just for decoration, they're also used to provoke a certain response from the viewer. Just as white is typically worn at weddings to symbolize purity and black at a funeral to...

Longevity touches upon the concept of human immortality, and while myths have spoken about people living centuries or longer, the reality is much harder to prove. Many of the supposedly oldest...

The practice of Turkish coffee reading, sometimes referred to as tasseography, is descendant from the tradition of tea leaf reading. There are many cultures that practice Turkish coffee readings,...

Notorious gangs and solo outlaws flooded the Wild West, but only the legend of Jesse James carried rumors, myths and secrets that have traveled for generations after his death. Ride along the...

Colonel James "Jim" Bowie first gained recognition for his skill with a knife following his role in the "Sandbar Duel" in Mississippi in 1827. As the fame of Jim Bowie and his knife spread, demand...

Every little girl dreams of becoming a Princess. To have the wealth, riches, and fame. Here are the ways that it is done:

For centuries magnets have been touted as healers of myriad conditions---everything from insomnia to aging. Magnetic bracelets are available in stainless steel and copper, depending on the type of...

Bows and arrows in the myths of ancient and medieval times depict lessons in life that still have meaning. Most tell a story of human emotions such as love, greed, envy or fear. Some are based...

In many cultures, there is a creation myth that tells of the gods creating humanity and then destroying the disappointing results. The Mayan culture of Mesoamerica shares in this tradition and has...

How to use word power will teach you the concept that you control your accomplishments by the words you speak.

For most, thoughts of a Mountain Man bring images of a gruff, bearded man living alone in the wilderness, abiding by his own rules and living a solitary life. While that is partially true,...

Whether you are visiting a house that you have heard is haunted or one that you want to check, to find out if it's haunted, or you just want to have some scary fun on Halloween, you need to make...

Scotland can trace its history to the last ice age 14,000 years ago. The Scots have had a long and difficult relationship with England, but are part of the British Empire.

Blame it on Stephanie Meyer and the Twilight series if you want to, but it seems like the creatures of the undead are turning up everywhere these days. I mean, it was hard enough trying to decide...

There are thousands of Masonic temples worldwide, most of them dating from the 18th and 19th centuries. There is not much historical evidence prior to the 18th century, yet many believe the truth...

A fjord, which is sometimes alternatively spelled fiord, is an over-deepened valley that has been carved out by a glacier. The sides of a fjord are extremely steep, and a fjord extends below sea...

The mandala is one of humankind's most ancient art forms. With the circle as its basis, it reflects eternity and all of nature: the sun, the moon and even the bird's nest. Types of mandalas may be...

The Statue of Liberty is a long-standing symbol of freedom and friendship on American soil. It was built by the French to commemorate America's independence from Great Britain, and stands as a...

The Statue of Liberty is a long-standing symbol of freedom and friendship on American soil. Built by the French to commemorate America's independence from Great Britain, it is a source of...

The Statue of Liberty is a longstanding symbol of freedom and friendship in the United States. Created by the French to commemorate America's independence from Great Britain, it is a source of...

Astrology is the study of the twelve signs of the zodiac. Astrologers consider all things in the universe to be interconnected. Each planet is a spiritual entity that guides all life on earth....

How to find the Holy Grail! It can be done, but it is a quest which is unusual and demands dedication to the cause...read on...

As products containing guaraná become more and more popular in the United States, many are asking the questions "What is it?" and "Where does it come from?" The guaraná berry is...

A sacred doll is a figure made for a sacred tradition, such as Native American, Pagan or Voodoo rituals. This type of craft goes back thousands of years; archeologists have found these dolls in...

Food cures and folk remedies offer ways for modern people to keep the old ways alive. Amazingly, many old cures and remedies work well to ease common symptoms. While many food and folk treatments...

Given the unconventional--and sometimes unpalatable--nature of some Irish folk remedies, Ireland's ancient cures for medical ailments may seem more unpleasant than the maladies they were intended...

A journey of two years, four months and 10 days changed history. In 1804, President Thomas Jefferson asked his secretary, explorer, and scientist---Meriwether Lewis---to head up an expedition to...