Polski jedzenie/ Polish food: My om nom nom nominations

Polish food could be considered similar to many other central European traditional dishes. There’s a sprinkling of a German, Czech, Slovakian, Ukrainian and Russian influences here. Although any Pole worthy of his or her passport will patiently explain to you that while there are similarities, Poland are the original creators of some of the mostContinue reading “Polski jedzenie/ Polish food: My om nom nom nominations”

Mysterious Rongorongo Glyphs from Easter Island

A collection of 24 sacred wooden objects from Easter Island bear Rongorongo inscriptions, a system of glyphs that was discovered in the 19th Century and is still a mystery to historians. Numerous attempts at decyphering the proto-writing have been unsuccessful. These pieces of wood (a lot of it driftwood) are weathered, burned and damaged andContinue reading “Mysterious Rongorongo Glyphs from Easter Island”

Decode ancient manuscripts in this online course about Medieval Spanish Burgos

A new Massive Online Open Course (MOOC) aims to involve people are volunteer historians who are needed to decrypt and decode 1,500 pages of medieval manuscripts from the Cathedral of Burgos (Spain). Even better, there is a Massive Open Online Course that accompanies the process. Read more about it here.  To Won’s Father: An AncientContinue reading “Decode ancient manuscripts in this online course about Medieval Spanish Burgos”

The quirky origins of Australia’s native animal names

Although I thought that the cockatoo was an Aboriginal word, it’s not! Its a relic of the first Europeans visiting the spice isles of Maluku (now Malaysia) in the 15th Century. They had birds there akin to cassowaries and cockatoos. Other well-known Aboriginal-sounding names are in fact from abroad as well. ‘Bandicoot’: an Indian nameContinue reading “The quirky origins of Australia’s native animal names”

How Old Norse Became English: A Viking Epic

Now I can’t take credit for this one, I found it here on Babbel, but it was just so so so amazing that I needed to share it with all of you bookworms. I’ve written about Vikings before and I also love that Vikings drama series on History, soon be coming into its third season,Continue reading “How Old Norse Became English: A Viking Epic”