Residents of mid-19th-century San Francisco were used to seeing all kinds of quirky characters on their streets. The gold rush was on its last legs and a veritable tide of outlaws, settlers, opportunists, and people of the most diverse stripes had flocked like flies to honey, attracted by the promis
Present in many cultures of our world, it is perhaps the most universal of all myths. The werewolf is a legendary creature that goes back almost to the very origin of humanity and its long shadow continues to terrify the populace even today, especially and especially during full moon nights. Could h
In the period 938 – 967 AD the worst enemy of the Byzantine Empire was the emir of Aleppo, the famous Saif al-Dawla. The emir had become a source of fear and terror in the region of todays Syria, daring attacks deep into Byzantine territory. al-Natullah was a fanatical Muslimdetermined to bring t
By Rainer Sousa A large amount of land, financial resources and a mighty army. This seemed to be the infallible recipe of some kings so that they could submit their authority during the process of formation of European national monarchies. Despite seeming simple, such a project of concentration of p