Authors: Kevin Ashman
Mortuus Virgo (50 page)
The Cult of the Great Mother.
This is a very old religion dating back into pre history. The Goddess figure is known in many cultures under many different names.
Flooding of the Black Sea.
Current research indicates that t
he Black Sea was indeed flooded about seven thousand years ago when the land link between the Sea of Marmara and the Fresh water Black Sea was breached, creating the Bosphorus Strait, separating Europe from Africa.
The link between Egyptian Gods and Christianity.
Many people believe that Christianity is based on much older religions, such as the Egyptian Goddess Isis, and many similarities can be seen with some research.
The Palladium
According to records, the Palladium did exist, and Greek mythology says it was based on the statue of Pallus Athena. Troy was reputed to have been built around it and early records suggest that it was stolen just before the end of the siege of Troy. It ended up in the Temple of Vesta in Rome and the last suspected location was under the Constantine tower in Constantinople.
The Samothrace Mysteries.
Samothrace is an island in the Aegean Sea. The statue of Nike was indeed discovered there and the Samothrace mysteries refer to ancient rituals carried out on the island thousands of years ago. Not much is known about the rituals though it is known that Phillip of Macedonia was a devotee.
Vesta
Vestal Virgins were an important part of Roman society for hundreds of years and were required to remain chaste. Any breaching this rule were often buried alive with some food and water. They were usually rich and very powerful, often able to decide the fates of condemned men.
Rubria
Was a famous Vestal Virgin and reputed to have been raped by Nero. She is one of the few, whose ultimate fate is unknown and disappeared soon after the fire of Rome in 64 AD
Church of St Giles
There is a Church of St Giles in Tockenham which contains a Roman statuettes built in to one of the outside walls. Though it resembles the Palladium, current theories suggest it is a statue of Aesculpius.
Church
of St Lawrence
There is a church of St Lawrence in Waltham St Lawrence situated between Maidenhead and Reading. St Lawrence was also known as the keeper of the secrets.
Weycock Hill
There are remains of a Roman building on Weycock Hill in Waltham St Lawrence, believed to have once been a Vestal Temple.
Littlewick Green.
Is a real village near Weycock hill, and is reputed to be haunted
by a ghost known as the white lady, rumoured to be the spirit of a Vestal Virgin.
Kevin Ashman is the owner of Silverback Books and the author of three historical fiction books. He lives in South Wales in the UK
It was an age of fear. An age of brutality, yet overall, when all is said and done, it was an age of glory.
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Savage Eden.
An adventure based between ice ages, documenting the survival struggles of a clan of hunter gatherers and Neanderthal, during a time of cannibalism and terror.
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