Luck of the Irish: Folklore and fairies in Rural Ireland
If the month of March has you seeing shamrocks, it might be a good time to brush up on your knowledge of Irish culture. The Rural Irish collection in eHRAF World Cultures is a great…
Tag Archives: ritual
A Divine Brew: Alcohol in Haitian Vodou and Yucatec Maya Ritual
Jeffrey Vadala Archaeological and anthropological research shows that many human societies across time and space have used alcohol in religious and ritual contexts. There are often customs and ethics that govern how alcohol is produced,…
Shaman Lords, Spider Diviners, and Hoards: An Archaeology of the Objects We Bury
Jeffrey Vadala Throughout history, humans have collected and buried groups of objects together, whether for ritual purposes (e.g., offerings to the gods) or pragmatic reasons (e.g., for secret stores of food). Today, many cultural groups…