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Elizabeth I & the Power of Image
Aware of the power of appearances, Elizabeth I of England (r. 1558-1603 CE) carefully controlled her image throughout her reign and through costume, hair, jewellery, and art, she presented herself as the great Virgin Queen. Like a goddess...
Definition
Vestal Virgin
Vestal Virgins (Latin: Vestales) were the priestesses of the Roman goddess of the hearth, Vesta, in the state religion of ancient Rome. At varying times there were four to six priestesses employed. They were the only full-time clergy (collegia...
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What Was Life Like | Episode 7: Tudors - Meet A Tudor Cook
Experience what it was like to cook in a Tudor kitchen, through the eyes of young English Heritage Members’ Adham and Olivia. They go inside the grounds of Gainsborough Old Hall to meet Tudor cook, Thomas Griffin, cook to Lord William of...
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What Was Life Like? | Episode 5: Medieval - Meet a Medieval Monk
Young English Heritage Members Emily and Sam visit Rievaulx Abbey in North Yorkshire to meet St Aelred, its most famous abbot, to discover what life was like in this Cistercian monastery. Find out what the monks used to eat, how they...
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Fragment of a Stele of the Virgin Mary from Georgia
This fragment was rediscovered in Davati village, located in eastern Georgia, in 1980. It was originally made in the 6th century CE from limestone. The standing figure of the Virgin Mary represents a unique iconographic type of the Virgin...
Definition
Ignatius of Loyola
Ignatius of Loyola (l. 1491-1556) was a Basque soldier who became a Catholic priest and theologian after a mystical experience convinced him he was called to the service of Christ. He founded the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) to defend the Church...
Definition
Einsiedeln Abbey
Einsiedeln Abbey and Monastery (German: Kloster Einsiedeln), located some 31 km (19 mi) southeast of Zürich at the foot of a hill in the town of Einsiedeln in Canton Schwyz, Switzerland, is the most important site of Roman Catholic pilgrimage...
Definition
Orisha
Orisha (also given as Orisa and Orishas) are supernatural entities usually referred to as deities in the Yoruba religion of West Africa, though they are actually emanations or avatars of the supreme being Olodumare. Their number is usually...
Definition
Ghent Altarpiece
The Ghent Altarpiece, otherwise known as The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, is a painted panel altarpiece created in 1432 for the Vijd Chapel in the church of St. John the Baptist, now St. Bavo Cathedral in Ghent, Belgium. The work is credited...
Video
Egyptian Fashion and Cosmetics
"Walk like an Egyptian" in this short episode where we sail up the Nile to look at the costume and cosmetic (and wig!) essentials of Ancient Egypt.