Britons and Celts
The Beaver Self-Castrates
“The creature castrates itself before the hunter’s eyes and throws its testicles down.” […]
Issues
Medieval Mentality
When Trial By Ordeal Goes Wrong
“As Grettir was walking down the aisle a young and quite ugly boy ran up to him and said, ‘What a strange custom in this country that call itself Christian, to allow evil-doers and bandits and thieves to go about in peace and undergo ordeals.'” […]
Greek and Roman
A Terrifying Oath
“Whichever contenders trample on this treaty first, spill their brains on the ground as this wine spills – theirs, their children’s too – their enemies rape their wives!” […]
Greek and Roman
When Octopuses Attack!
“It struggles with him, embracing him with its tentacles, swallows at him with its many suckers and pulls him apart; it attacks shipwrecked men or men who are diving.” […]
Human Affairs
A Temple to the Old Gods
“A sacrificial bowl was placed on the plat form and in it a sacrificial twig – like a priest’s aspergillum – which was used to sprinkle blood from the blow.” […]
Greek and Roman
The Defiance of Germany
“Let him attack whenever he pleases. He will discover what German valour is capable of.” […]
Britons and Celts
Some Dreams End in Death
“It seems to me that dreams are like rumours: you must use your common sense, and then accept some but refuse to believe others.” […]
Orient
Traders on the Sea of Darkness
“In the Darkness there is a tree as big as a large village and on it perches an enormous creature, some say a bird.” […]
Greek and Roman
Front-Line Poetry
“Now the savage work went on, Acheans and Trojans mauling each other there like wolves, leaping, hurtling into each other, man throttling man.” […]
Greek and Roman
The Dolphins of Tunisia
“Dolphins are not afraid of humans as something alien, but come to meet vessels at sea and play and leap around them; they try to race ships and overtake them even when they are under full sail.” […]