Showing posts with label Stuff Ya Didn't Know. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Stuff Ya Didn't Know. Show all posts

Friday, July 22, 2011

Stuff Ya Didn't Know Friday- Cadbury Castle


Today's "Stuff Ya Didn't Know" is a place:

Cadbury Castle- Sommerset England

It started as a fortified settlement in 500 BC, then began digging itself in, creating a rampart and ditch defense system to ward off the newest weapon of mass destruction- the sling. While the common folk lived outside of the walls, they would shelter inside during times of emergency. The powers that be sheltered there all the time.

Cadbury Castle faced a peaceful transition in to the Roman era- by not fighting at all in 44 AD when the Romans came through. They quietly co-existed with the Romans until 30 years later when rebels or bandits made enough noise to gather the attention of the Romans- and not in a good way. The gates were shattered, merchants, workers, and leaders all slaughtered within, many in their market stalls.

After that, Cadbury Castle lay mostly in quiet abandon, ignored until 500 years later a warrior of myth and legend admired its defensive position- a warrior who may have been King Arthur.

Just what the early citizens did to bring down the mighty wrath of the Romans after 3 decades of peace, and just who was the warrior who later returned it to its strategic power really was are questions that might be best explored in the realm of imagination.

More information can be found http://www.britannia.com/history/arthur/cadcast.html

Friday, July 1, 2011

Stuff Ya Didn't Know-Tengu


Today our guest you may never have heard of before is the tengu.

These half-man, half bird creatures were found in the Shinto religion of Japan. Their appearance varies, sometimes they have both the body of a man and the face of a bird; in others they are men with wings, claws for feet, and beak-like noses.

These mischievous creatures are blamed for teaching humans the art of war and how to use weapons. There are tales of a tengu possessing a human during battle, endowing him with great skill. When the tengu leaves, the warrior has no memory of what happened.

During the Middle Ages the Shinto based tengu were at odds with the Buddhists, they would often try to tempt, fool, or carry off Buddhist priests and often were blamed for setting fire to Buddhist temples.

In response, the Buddhists forbade the worship of tengu and even had a special place in their spiritual world- "tengu road" that was reserved for hypocritical priests who had forsaken their vows.

Sources: Writer's Complete Fantasy Reference, Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures