Love for Art, History, and NYC Combined

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/18/marc-hermann_n_3942186.html?utm_hp_ref=arts&ncid=edlinkusaolp00000008

Anyone who knows even a modicum of New York City history knows that the great city has gone through a lot in its day.  Everything from fires and arrests, to deaths and gangsters, is all in this wonderful city’s past.  

And now, people can place the past right next to the present in a beautiful photography series done by Marc A. Hermann.  It is a eye-opening juxtaposition of the chaotic occurrences throughout history placed next to the present-day, peaceful scenes.  The way Hermann blends these two images into one is extraordinary and it really brings another viewpoint through which the public can understand history.  

It’s definitely worth a look-through because, if not anything else, it is a mesmerizing angle into the city.

Setting of Beowulf Found?

Setting of Beowulf Found?

Archaeologists in Denmark may have discovered the location off which the famous hall from Beowulf was based.  This, if true, would be an AMAZING discovery because the epic poem itself is from the later half of the first century.  Thus, the hall they excavated would be even older!

Of course, anyone who has read Beowulf is probably wondering how much truth can actually be found within this discovery and consequent claim, because of the mythical monsters throughout the work.  However, the article explains:  “Experts have long speculated that, leaving its monsters aside, the action of that poem had a real-world basis somewhere in Denmark. The recent excavations at Lejre have confirmed that surmise.”  (huff.to/1aVVFpL)   So the setting itself could be very real, and these Denmark archaeologists may have hit the literary and historical jackpot!

 

You’ll never hear nursery rhymes the same way again…

This video created by Buzzfeed has officially ruined the calming, soft nature of nursery rhymes. It breaks down the historical references in multiple popular nursery rhymes that we all know and love. Within seconds, the viewer realizes that these fun, little songs we sing to children are actually about horrible situations like execution, plague, war, religious persecution, and murder.
It definitely makes you think twice before singing these again.
However, with the creepy factor set aside, it is truly intriguing to see how these songs came about. It is interesting how people of the past have taken such horrible events and turned them into sweet melodies. Language is a very fluid tool–especially when put to music.