In his book, On the Art of Exercise, the Italian physician Girolamo Mercuriale writes in a way that makes you think that, just like Botticelli and Michelangelo had ‘rediscovered’ the art of ancient Greece in Renaissance Italy, he too had rediscovered a lost art, the art of exercise. But, was that true? Did people stop exercising with the fall of …
Content warning: Miscarriage/Abortion Part 1 – What are Eaglestones? Childbirth can be scary, especially if you’ve never given birth before and don’t know what to expect. Just like we might do today, throughout history, women have talked to each other about it, developed their rituals surrounding it, they have asked midwives and doctors questions, and they have prayed for protection. …
Content warning: Animal Cruelty and Violence In describing childhood, following infancy, this is what Shakespeare wrote: I think most of us can relate to this, dragging yourself to school, zero enthusiasm, having abandonned whichever game or toy we were playing with until then. Do you remember what your favourite toys were growing up? Or the games you loved playing with …
Fairy tales don’t have to make sense to be meaningful. They follow their own logic and readers – or, traditionally, listeners – get so enraptured in the story that no one really questions their elements, be they fairy godmothers, magic roses, or talking frogs. Yet there is one story that always left me puzzled when I was growing up: The …