Leda and the Swan, by Kotsonis The swan was a recurring motif in Greek and Roman mythology, generally as a bird associated with the sun. Each Greek tribe had its own favorite myths, and additional stories were being constantly imported into religion from foreign sources. The swan was the bird of the Muses. It was sacred to Apollo and Aphrodite. Aeschylus, a Greek playwright, mentioned swan...
Scandinavians didn’t use hereditary surnames in most cases until about 1900. Their customs would surprise many Americans. The following information was adapted from a posting to the Norrbotten mailing list by Gwen Boyer Björkman. Before the Protestant Reformation, a clergyman used only his given name preceded by Herr (Sir). Thus Herr Johannes, Herr Mikael, Herr Petrus and Herr Wilhelmus. When it...
Germanic swan myths, preserved in fairy tales, are similar to those of the Norse and Celtic. In many stories women who take the shape of swans can be prevented from doing so if their plumage is taken. In other household tales a wicked step-mother throws white skirts over her step-children, and they are at once transformed into swans. A German Nobleman A nobleman was hunting in a forest, when he...
Sweden was once one of the superpowers of Europe but by 1672, when Carl XI came of age, its power was beginning to decline. The country was too poor to maintain the troops it needed to defend its borders. It had become a client state of France and was expending its energies in foreign wars to serve French interests. In 1680, Carl XI reorganized the Swedish military. Under the new system, called...
The Quarmby family takes its name from the manor of Quarmby, near Huddersfield in Yorkshire. At the time of the Norman Conquest the manor was part of the barony of Pontefract, which the king bestowed on Ilbert de Lacy, who in turn gave it to one of his retainers, who took the surname Quarmby. In 1311 the manor passed with the heiress Alice de Lacy to her husband Thomas, Earl of Lancaster, and in...