Why do medieval reenactors feel like they’ve “found their people”?Continue readingCreating and Maintaining Community in UK Medieval Reenactment
Category: Anthropology
Professional farters have existed for a long time. In the 12th century, a man named Roland the Farter paid for his land by performing a jump, a whistle, and a fart for the king on Christmas Day. Why was a fart enough to pay rent, and what’s so funny about farting anyway?Continue readingRoland the Farter: Humour Never Changes
Did everyone get socks this Christmas? If not, you may be overdue for a visit from the Yule Cat. The Icelandic Yule Cat brings an element of terror to the festive season by eating people who didn’t receive a present of new clothes and teaching us the folklore of wild cats and powerful women.Continue readingThe Norse Cat Who Eats Poor People at Christmas
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The Anomalous Pangolin
Pangolins are interesting to anthropologists because they tell us something about how we classify things, and how we react to things that can’t easily be classified.Continue readingThe Anomalous Pangolin