Eastern Europe
Origin of an Alphabet
” Whosoever condemns the Slavic writing shall be excluded from the Church until he mends his ways. For such men are not sheep but wolves; by their fruits ye shall know them and guard against them. ” […]
Genre
Violence
Angels on the Battlefield
“When he hears the angel’s blessed voice, King Charles no longer is in fear or dread of death. His mind clears and his energy returns. With France’s sword he smashes the emir. He bursts apart the casque where jewels blaze, then cleaves his skull – the brains come spilling out – his face, clear down into his whitish beard, and throws him down, a corpse beyond recall.” […]
Humor
Gotcha! I’m Your King Now!
“We both know the old adage that he who holds the sword of a man who is undoing his belt, will from then on be the lesser of the two. Therefore, you are now a king under my rule and you must endure this status as patiently as the others do.” […]
Human Affairs
Saga of a Shieldmaiden
” At once she summoned a great assembly and had herself raised to kingship over the third of Sweden which King Eirek had agreed to let her rule in stewardship. She also gave herself the name Thorberg. No man was so bold as to call her a maiden or a woman – whoever did that would have to suffer harsh punishment.” […]
Orient
Psychotic Pride
“Much booty I burned with fire; many soldiers I captured alive; of some I chopped off the hands and feet; of others the noses and ears I cut off.” […]
Britons and Celts
Dangerous at any Time
“Wallace unmov’d, the impetuous shock sustains,
And awful joy his gloomy brow serenes.
Straight rising to the blow, he aim’d a wound,
And brought his enemy stagg’ring to the ground.” […]
Greek and Roman
Sex Scandals of the Ancient Emperors
“It is of interest to know the way in which he is said to have taken his stepmother Julia as his wife. She was very beautiful and, as if through carelessness, had uncovered the greater part of her body.” […]
Humor
A Stupid Death for a Wicked Man
“His head was cut off, in the presence of all, by an obscure soldier of the adverse party.” […]
Human Affairs
The Family Police
“There is a department of state whose sole function it is to impose severe penalties on those who are found guilty of such ingratitude.” […]
Britons and Celts
The Eternal Rider of the Wild Hunt
“Sir, I can hardly understand your speech, for you are a Briton and I a Saxon; but the name of that Queen I have never heard, save that they say that long ago there was a Queen of that name over the very ancient Britons, who was the wife of King Herla; and he, the old story says, disappeared in company with a pigmy at this very cliff, and was never seen on earth again, and it is now two hundred years since the Saxons took possession of this kingdom, and drove out the old inhabitants.” […]