Medieval Dog-Heads: An Eye-Witness Report January 9, 2012
Author: Beach Combing | in : Medieval
An interesting passage from the Itinerarium of Friar Odoric (obit 1331), a pioneering Italian traveller in Asia: Odoric may have been the first European to reach Lhasa. He certainly stood before the great Khan and penetrated China. He also visited the south seas. The island of Moumoran has never been satisfactorily identified but probably lies […]
Rhyming with Death December 8, 2011
Author: Beach Combing | in : Contemporary, Medieval, Modern
Death concentrates the mind wonderfully and, at least in the east, a longstanding custom has been to pen a final poem: a last communiqué to the world. This custom stretches far back into the Middle Ages and perhaps the greatest thing to recommend it is the brevity of the works in question So we […]
Beachcombing Beachcombs from Florida to Japan July 2, 2011
Author: Beach Combing | in : Contemporary, Modern
**Beach dedicates this post to Ricardo R and Tokyobling who supplied all the material** One area of bizarre history that Beachcombing has so far steered clear of in this blog is, well, beachcombing. He was put off the subject in the mid 1990s when he stumbled on a story in The Sun (Irish edition) of […]
