Myths and Legends of the World

Draugar (being plural of draug) possess superhuman strength, can increase their size at will, and carry the unmistakable stench of decay. "The appearance of a draugr was that of a dead body: swollen, blackened and generally hideous to look at." They are undead figures from Norse and Icelandic mythology that appear to retain some semblance of intelligence. They exist to guard their treasure, wreak havoc on living beings, or torment those who had wronged them in life. The draugr's ability to increase its size also increased its weight, and the body of the draugr was described as being extremely heavy. While land-draugar was simply undead with numerous magical abilities, sea-draugar was fishermen who had drowned at sea, thus being denied the privilege of being buried. Draugar are depicted as having either pitch black or pale white skin. Draugar are noted for having numerous magical abilities, such as shape-shifting, controlling the weather, and seeing into the futu...

As the veils between the world of the living and the dead weaken around this time. Let's remember the monsters and ghouls that scare the crap out of us and the heroes who conquer them.    In Norse religion the einherjar were spirits of warriors who had died bravely in battle. The name is Old Norse for "one-army-ers" (singular would be einheri). It is often interpreted as "outstanding fighter", but might also signify "those who are all in one army", because when alive on earth they were in many armies and bands, but now they are all in the Army of Asgard. Einherjar warriors are personally trained by the ruler of Asgard and are tasked with protecting Asgard. After they die, the Valkyries escort half of the slain from the battlefield to Valhalla (these are the "einherjar"), which is part of Asgard (commonly described as the "Norse Heaven"); the other half went to Fólkvangr (Freyja's hall). The Grímnismál describes Valhall...

In the fall of 1994 a team of archaeological divers leaded by the archeologist Jean Yves Empereur donned scuba equipment and entered the waters off of Alexandria, Egypt. Working beneath the surface, they searched the bottom of the sea for artifacts. Ironically, these scientists were using some of the most high-tech devices available at the end of the 20th century to try and sort out the ruins of one of the most advanced technological achievements of the 3rd century, B.C... It was the Pharos, the great lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The Lighthouse of Alexandria worked by 15 centuries and it was the last of the six lost wonders of the ancient world that disappeared. It was one of the greatest architectural feats of the antiquity. Besides, the Lighthouse was the only wonder that was constructed with practical purposes; since it helped seafaring ships to find the harbor safely. The lighthouse served also as a military lookout for approaching ...