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Coming Soon

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Look at warfare in the Americas before and after European arrival. Watch stereotypes and modern biases be smashed regarding fighting methods, wars, and the rise and fall of ancient civilizations. Revelations of truth will be revealed. Find on Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble retailers.

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Inca mummy, found with large amounts of coca and alcohol in her system, likely sacrificed by the Sapa Inca (emperor) in a royal ceremony.

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Horrific Aztec Plague Identified Using Modern DNA Analyses

DNA analyses from a mass grave, dating to the end of the Aztec Empire, shows they died of an epidemic of salmonella. Salmonella enterica Paratyphi C, a pathogen that causes enteric fever, is the likely culprit. This is the first time science has been used to identify the epidemic which the Spanish at the time called “full bloodiness.” Its indigenous name was the cocoliztli epidemic.

The epidemic hit regions of Mexico and Guatemala from 1545-1550, and symptoms included intense fever, pain, vomiting and bleeding from eyes and nose. The death toll is estimated to be between 5 and 15 million Native Americans – that’s up to 80% of a population which had no resistance to this, or a host of other diseases, which had suddenly arrived on their continent.

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Dagger and knife set belonging to Johann Friedrich the Magnanimous, Elector of Saxony, circa 1530-1540.

from the Staatliche Kunstamlungen Dresden

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Aboriginal weapons 

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In tumblr it has come to my attention that there are really few posts (I didn’t see any tbh) about central asian mythological creatures and when I was showing it a friend here she suggested that I should make a post about it so here we go! Before I start I want to say that my native language is not English so I may fuck up and gonna try to keep as simple as possible (for my own sake)

This is Tulpar, probably one of the most known one as It’s also in state emblems of Kazakhstan, Mongolia and Bashkortostan. It’s a winged horse created by Sky-God to help the heroes. It’s in single color and these are either white or black. It’ is mentioned in Manas Epic that if someone sees wings of Tulpar they will get lost.

This is Markut, It’s a giant eagle in Turkic Altai and Mongoloian mythology, it protects shamans and guides them while their spirits are rising to the sky up to third-fold of seven-fold sky.

This is Huma, a mythical bird, exhausted by burning itself and reborn from its ashes. It is narrated that it leaves the heaven and flies very high at seven-fold skies wandering around the constellation constituting the zodiac. Even it is told that it goes up to Sky-God. It can fly continuously without landing down so it is said in some sources that it doesn’t have any feet. It is believed that it brings happiness and luck to whom it lands on.

Hello this is Semruk, giant double headed eagle, the symbol of power and strength. It means reign over the East and the West. It is an icon moved from central Asia to the world during Turkic and Mongoloian migrations and conquests. It has copper claws. The right wing covers the Sun and the left covers the Moon. It symbolizes the duality in universe such as darkness and brightness.

Oh god where to start with this. These are Abra and Yutpa. Two giant snakes that lives in underworld great sea called Tengiz.These creatures names are always mentioned together. They kind of look like crocodiles with two fins at the end of their tail. They are bright shiny copper eyed, crimson handed, green calfed and white chested. They are incredibly huge and put fear on hearts of those who see them. They protect Palace of Erlik (God of Death in Turkich and Mongolian mythology) and known as servants of him. In some texts it says they are scary creatures that live in Toybadım underworld river rather than the underworld sea. They can swallow a whole elephant in one gulp. In some texts the 4 creatures of underworld are mentioned together rather than two as “ Ker Abra, Ker Yutpa, Ker Arat ve Ker Doydu “ sometimes its thought that these four are same creatures. In Altai Shamanism shaman’s dress have design of these creatures.

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Short cut through the forest?

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The bone dagger that i made I sent to 

https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheBoneCarverUS?ref=search_shop_redirect

To get carved up!! The detail in these carvings is amazing!! Expect to see more of these! You can find the blade on my website.

https://www.lunarlightforge.com/shop-1

Thanks everyone!

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Mongolian wrestling, known as Bökh, is the folk wrestling style of Mongols in Mongolia, Inner Mongolia and other regions where touching the ground with anything other than a foot loses the match. Some fascinating photographs depicting the traditional fighters without artifice, in the great steppes of Mongolia taken by Ken Hermann .

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Ravnrhjem in the snow

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The Hopi Creation Story

A very long time ago there was nothing but water. In the east Hurúing Wuhti,

the deity of all hard substances, lived in the ocean. Her house was a kiva

like the kivas of the Hopi of to-day. To the ladder leading into the kiva were

usually tied a skin of a gray fox and one of a yellow fox. Another Hurúing

Wuhti lived in the ocean in the west in a similar kiva, but to her ladder was

attached a turtle-shell rattle.

The Sun also existed at that time. Shortly before rising in the east the Sun

would dress up in the skin of the gray fox, whereupon it would begin to dawn--

the so-called white dawn of the Hopi. After a little while the Sun would lay

off the gray skin and put on the yellow fox skin, whereupon the bright dawn of

the morning--the so-called yellow dawn of the Hopi--would appear. The Sun

would then rise, that is, emerge from an opening in the north end of the kiva

in which Hurúing Wuhti lived. When arriving in the west again, the sun would

first announce his arrival by fastening the rattle on the point of the ladder

beam, whereupon he would enter the kiva, pass through an opening in the north

end of the kiva, and continue his course eastward under the water and so on.

By and by these two deities caused some dry land to appear in the midst of the

water, the waters receding eastward and westward. The Sun passing over this

dry land constantly took notice of the fact, that no living being of any kind

could be seen anywhere, and mentioned this fact to the two deities. So one

time the Hurúing Wuhti of the west sent word through the Sun to the Hurúing

Wuhti in the east to come over to her as she wanted to talk over this matter.

The Hurúing Wuhti of the east complied with this request and proceeded to the

West over a rainbow. After consulting each other on this point the two

concluded that they would create a little bird; so the deity of the east made

a wren of clay, and covered it up with a piece of native cloth (möchápu).

Hereupon they sang a song over it, and after a little while the little bird

showed signs of life. Uncovering it, a live bird came forth, saying: "Úma

hínok pas nui kitâ' náwakna?" (why do you want me so quickly). "Yes," they

said, "we want you to fly all over this dry place and see whether you can find

anything living." They thought that as the Sun always passed over the middle

of the earth, he might have failed to notice any living beings that might

exist in the north or the south. So the little Wren, flew al over the earth,

but upon its return reported that no living being existed anywhere. Tradition

says, however, that by this time Spider Woman (Kóhk'ang Wuhti), lived

somewhere in the south-west at the edge of the water, also in a kiva, but this

the little bird had failed to notice.

Hereupon the deity of the west proceeded to make very many birds of different

kinds and form, placing them again under the same cover under which the Wren

had been brought, to life. They again sang a song over them. Presently the

birds began to move under the cover. The goddess removed the cover and found

under it all kinds of birds and fowls. "Why do you want us so quickly?" the

latter asked. "Yes, we want you to inhabit this world." Hereupon the two

deities taught every kind of bird the sound that it should make, and then the

birds scattered out in all directions.

Hereupon the Hurúing Wuhti of the west made of clay all different kinds of

animals, and they were brought to life in the same manner as the birds. They

also asked the same question: "Why do you want us so quickly?" "We want you to

inhabit this earth," was the reply given them, whereupon they were taught by

their creators their different sounds or languages, after which they proceeded

forth to inhabit the different parts of the earth. They now concluded that

they would create man. The deity of the east made of clay first a woman and

then a man, who were brought to life in exactly the same manner as the birds

and animals before them. They asked the same question, and were told that they

should live upon this earth and should understand everything. Hereupon the

Hurúing Wuhti of the east made two tablets of some hard substance, whether

stone or clay tradition does not say, and drew upon them with the wooden stick

certain characters, handing these tablets to the newly created man and woman,

who looked at them, but did not know what they meant. So the deity of the east

rubbed with the palms of her hands, first the palms of the woman and then the

palms of the man, by which they were enlightened so that they understood the

writing on the tablets. Hereupon the deities taught these two a language.

After they had taught them the language, the goddess of the east took them out

of the kiva and led them over a rainbow, to her home in the east. There they

stayed four days, after which Hurúing Wuhti told them to go now and select for

themselves a place and live there. The two proceeded forth saying that they

would travel around a while and wherever they would find a good field they

would remain. Finding a nice place at last, they built a small, simple house,

similar to the old houses of the Hopi. Soon the Hurúing Wuhti of the west

began to think of the matter again, and said to herself : "This is not the way

yet that it should be. We are not done yet," and communicated her thoughts to

the Hurúing Wuhti of the east. By this time Spider Woman had heard about all

this matter and she concluded to anticipate the others and also create some

beings. So she also made a man and woman of clay, covered them up, sang over

them, and brought to life her handiwork. But these two proved to be Spaniards.

She taught them the Spanish language, also giving them similar tablets and

imparting knowledge to them by rubbing their hands in the same manner as the

woman of the East had done with the "White Men." Hereupon she created two

burros, which she gave to the Spanish man and woman. The latter settled down

close by. After this, Spider Woman continued to create people in the same

manner as she had created the Spaniards, always a man and a woman, giving a

different language to each pair. But all at once she found that she had

forgotten to create a woman for a certain man, and that is the reason why now

there are always some single men.

She continued the creating of people in the same manner, giving new languages

as the pairs were formed. All at once she found that she had failed to create

a man for a certain woman, in other words, it was found that there was one

more woman than there were men. "Oh my!'' she said, "How is this?" and then

addressing the single woman she said: ''There is a single man somewhere, who

went away from here. You try to find him and if he accepts you, you live with

him. If not, both of you will have to remain single. You do the best you can

about that." The two finally found each other, and the woman said, "Where

shall we live?" The man answered: "Why here, anywhere. We shall remain

together." So he went to work and built a house for them in which they lived.

But it did not take very long before they commenced to quarrel with each

other. "I want to live here alone," the woman said. "I can prepare food for

myself." ''Yes, but who will get the wood for you? Who will work the fields?"

the man said. "We had better remain together." They made up with each other,

but peace did not last. They soon quarreled again, separated for a while, came

together again, separated again, and so on. Had these people not lived in that

way, all the other Hopi would now live in peace, but others learned it from

them, and that is the reason why there are so many contentions between the men

and their wives. These were the kind of people that Spider Woman had created.

The Hurúing Wuhti of the west heard about this and commenced to meditate upon

it. Soon she called the goddess from the east to come over again, which the

latter did. "I do not want to live here alone," the deity of the west said, "I

also want some good people to live here." So she also created a number of

other people, but always a man and a wife. They were created in the same

manner as the deity of the east had created hers. They lived in the west. Only

wherever the people that Spider Woman had created came in contact with these

good people there was trouble. The people at that time led a nomadic life,

living mostly on game. Wherever they found rabbits or antelope or deer they

would kill the game and eat it. This led to a good many contentions among the

people. Finally the Woman of the west said to her people: "You remain here; I

am going to live, after this, in the midst of the ocean in the west. When you

want anything from me, you pray to me there." Her people regretted this very

much, but she left them. The Hurúing Wuhti of the east did exactly the same

thing, and that is the reason why at the present day the places where these

two live are never seen.

Those Hopi who now want something from them deposit their prayer offerings in

the village. When, they say their wishes and prayers they think of those two

who live in the far distance, but of whom the Hopi believe that they still

remember them.

The Spanish were angry at Hurúing Wuhti and two of them took their guns and

proceeded to the abiding place of the deity. The Spaniards are very skillful

and they found a way to get there. When they arrived at the house of Hurúing

Wuhti the latter at once surmised what their intentions were. "You have come

to kill me," she said; "don't do that; lay down your weapons and I shall show

you something; I am not going to hurt you." They laid down their arms,

whereupon she went to the rear end of the kiva and brought out a white lump

like a stone and laid it before the two men, asking them to lift it up. One

tried it, but could not lift it up, and what was worse, his hands adhered to

the stone. The other man tried to assist him, but his hands also adhered to

the stone, and thus they were both prisoners. Hereupon Hurúing Wuhti took the

two guns and said: "These do not amount to anything," and then rubbed them

between her hands to powder. She then said to them: "You people ought to live

in peace with one another. You people of Spider Woman know many things, and

the people whom we have made also know many, but different, things. You ought

not to quarrel about these things, but learn from one another; if one has or

knows a good thing he should exchange it with others for other good things

that they know and have. If you will agree to this I shall release you. They

said they did, and that they would no more try to kill the deity. Then the

latter went to the rear end of the kiva where she disappeared through an

opening in the floor, from where she exerted a secret influence upon the stone

and thus released the two men, They departed, but Hurúing Wuhti did not fully

trust them, thinking that they would return, but they never did.

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Archery Tips & Techniques

Here are some specific archery techniques to help when writing a character who practices archery or even to get you started on your own path to learning the sport. This is mainly tips and tricks for a recurve bow, however some of these could be used when dealing with a compound bow as well. Most of this will just be the basics but if you’d like more advanced information, feel free to contact me.

THE BOW

Recurve bow is a standard ‘classic’ bow. This means you draw back the weight of the bow on your own instead of using wheels ( compound ) to help with the draw.

Recurve bow’s perform better when the draw weight is at least 40 lbs or more.

The larger the riser ( the middle section of the bow where the limbs are attached ) the less shock you will receive when shooting.

The recurve has many parts, so let’s break them down:

BOW PARTS

Arrow Rest - This is exactly what it sounds like. This is where you rest the arrow you are loading onto the bow.

Back - The side of the bow that is facing away from you. The side of the bow seen by others.

Belly - The side of the bow facing you.

Grip - The part of the bow you hold with your ���bow’ hand.

Limbs - The curved upper and lower parts of the bow.

Nocking Point - The place on the string where you rest the arrow fletching.

Riser - The middle section of the bow.

ARROW PARTS

Arrowhead ( Broadhead ) - The point of the arrow. There are several types of these from metallic broadheads to plastic bullets.

Fletching - The end ( vanes ) of the arrow, can be plastic, feathers, or metal. More often than not, it is plastic these days.

Nock - The slotted tip attached to the fletching. This helps the arrow string onto the bow.

Shaft - The main body of the arrow. They can be made out of a multitude of materials.

STANCE AND FORM

Feet - Stance should always be solid and comfortable. Keep your feet shoulder length apart, aiming your body is subjective to the target.

Grip - Do not strangle the bow. Let the bow rest in your hand. The best and most comfortable place is right at the base of your thumb, where bone meets palm.

Bow Arm - A locked shoulder but relaxed, slightly bent elbow is how you should hold the bow. If you press down on your shoulder with your other arm, your bow arm should not move.

Release Hand - When drawing the bow, keep your elbow sideways, it should not move up or down. Keep it straight and squared and let your release hand brush somewhere along your jawline. String to tip of nose. Also called ‘kissing the string’. 

Follow Through - Keep your bow arm up until the arrow hits the target. Your release hand should continue it’s motion of when you were aiming, brush against the side of your face and fall down once it reaches parallel to the back of your head.

DOMINANCE AND AIMING

Dominant Eye - Determining if you are a left handed or right handed shooter is not based off of if you are left or right handed. Instead, it is based off which eye is your dominant eye. Most of the time your dominant eye will correspond with your dominant hand but it does not always have to be the case. To determined your dominate eyes, hold your hands away from your face about ½ inch away. Make a triangle with your thumbs and forefingers and center something on the wall inside of the triangle. then close your left eye. If the image stays centered or in view, you have a right dominate eye and vice versa if you close your right eye. While you use both eyes when shooting an arrow, your dominant eye should float to the target before your non dominant eye.

Trajectory - If you are eyeballing your target, it is always good to understand that arrows curve and that your aim and shot should reflect that. If you are using a sight, trust the sight. Do not aim a little above or below the sight.

Breath - old your breath for 5-7 seconds and then release it as you take your shot, this will help keep your accuracy in check and also help you not over-think your shot. This also helps your back tension.

Back Tension - Only your draw shoulder should be the one to hold the tension and pivot as you shoot. If you use both shoulder muscles you will feel a more pushing sensation than a pulling one.

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During the 1600’s the Iroquois Indian Nations, a group of several indigenous tribes in North America, engaged in warfare with many other tribes. The men controlled when and against whom they declared a war. Tribal Iroquois women decided that they wanted to stop unregulated warfare and planned a way to convince the Iroquois men to give them more power in deciding issues of war and peace. The Iroquois women started by boycotted lovemaking and childbearing and the moved on to restrict the warriors' access to supplies because they had complete control over planting and cultivating crops and prevented warriors from acquiring necessary supplies by withholding needed commodities such as dried corn and moccasins. Although the Iroquois men controlled politics, they could not go to war without the necessary supplies, which were controlled by the women. The men eventually gave in to the women’s demands and granted them veto power concerning all wars. This nonviolent action has been considered the first feminist rebellion in the United States.

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