Search Results: Dr evil

The king’s evil (from the Latin morbus regius meaning royal sickness), more commonly known as scrofula or medically tuberculous lymphadenitis, was a skin disease believed to be cured by the touch of the monarch as part of their inherited...

Medicine in ancient Mesopotamia was based on the belief that illness was caused by supernatural agencies and, although medicines were given and injuries treated, magical spells and incantations were also understood as effective. Among these...

Gold touch piece of Henry VI of England (r. 1422–1461). Likely minted in London or York, England. Image by Classical Numismatic Group, Inc. http://www.cngcoins.com

Photograph of scrofula of the neck, from Byrom Bramwell's Atlas of Clinical Medicine, 1893.

It is rare when a new find creates renewed interest in an old subject. Here, the new find is a leontocephaline (lion-headed) figure of unknown provenance, weighing 5.8 kg and 37 cm in height with a width of 14 cm. Its base is partially broken...

Roman mosaic of the Evil Eye from Antioch. The eye is pierced by a trident and sword, pecked by a raven, barked at by a dog, and attacked by a centipede, scorpion, cat, and snake. A horned dwarf with a gigantic phallus crosses two sticks...

This Apkallu and Lamassu ward off evil spirits or demons and protect humans and their place of residence. 9th century BCE. From Nimrud, modern-day Iraq. (Room 6, British Museum, London)

Egyptian Ba amulet. The Ba was a human-headed bird aspect of the soul which could speed between earth and the heavens. Gold and stone inlay. 3rd century BCE. (Walters Art Museum, Balttmore, USA)

Columbus is a controversial historical figure who is widely viewed as terrible. Every year we question whether we should continue to have a day to celebrate his discovery. But as with most stories, his bad deeds have been exaggerated to make...

Ahriman is the evil spirit in Early Iranian Religion, Zoroastrianism, and Zorvanism, Lord of Darkness and Chaos, and the source of human confusion, disappointment, and strife. He is also known as Angra Mainyu (evil spirit or dark spirit...