Mar 3, 2020 | Did You Know?, Turkey & Europe
More books are written, published and sold per person per year in Iceland than anywhere else on the planet. The Icelandic people were in the past and still are great storytellers. Icelanders’ sagas, also called family sagas, are prose histories recounting events that...
Jan 28, 2020 | Did You Know?, Turkey & Europe
Remember the fable of mythical Icarus who, on wings crafted of feathers and wax, flew too close to the sun? Made of feathers and wax, the sun melted them and Icarus fell and died. His father, Daedalus, a great inventor who is credited with creating the Great Labyrinth...
Aug 22, 2017 | Did You Know?
The Scots spell it whisky and the Irish spell it whiskey, with an extra ‘e’. This difference in the spelling comes from the translations of the word from the Scottish and Irish Gaelic forms. Whiskey with the extra ‘e’ is also used when...
Oct 13, 2013 | Did You Know?
Archaeological examination of Viking ships and stave churches suggest a substantial mastery of woodworking and engineering in Viking culture. Steeped in Viking history, these churches derive their name from its post (stav in Norwegian) and lintel construction. The...
Oct 7, 2013 | Did You Know?
These bodies of water surrounding fortresses reduced the risk of tunneling. One of the most serious forms of attack was to undermine part of a castle. The ‘miners’ were called Sappers. They would dig a tunnel underneath one of the corners using timber...
Oct 6, 2013 | Did You Know?
Did you know that the Moors, who ruled Spain for 700 years, introduced new scientific techniques to Europe, such as an astrolabe, a device for measuring the position of the stars and planets? Did you know that the Great Mosque of Córdoba (La Mezquita) is still one of...
