All About History

One of the great cliches of history is that it is written by the victors, and that’s hard to argue against, as I was reminded of this issue with our look at Shaka, king of the Zulus. The combination of limited written records and the political and so

The Celts lived in fortified settlements surrounded by banks and ditches known as hillforts. As the name would suggest, these hillforts were usually built on high ground but many of them have also been located on low-lying land. While these hillforts

On this day, the first episode of American science fiction series Star Trek, titled The Man Trap, premiered on NBC starring Leonard Nimoy (far left) as Mr Spock and William Shatner (left) as Captain Kirk. Although it was cancelled after only three se

It was suggested by Roman observers that Druids required up to 20 years of study in order to become a part of the order (which was attractive as it meant avoiding military service and taxation), which is why you would be unlikely to meet a young Drui

Archeological evidence indicates that during the Iron Age Celtic warriors were prestigious, high-status members of that society. Many of them were buried with elaborately decorated weapons, horses and even chariots, presumably for ceremonial or relig

Q. FIRSTLY, COULD YOU EXPLAIN WHAT CELTIC PAGANISM IS? A. My definition of Celtic paganism is: the religion or religions that were practiced in Britain and neighbouring Celtic areas during prehistory and up to the time when Christianity arrived in W

A large multivallate hillfort, Stonea Camp is one of only three of its kind still surviving in the area. Located on a small gravel island near March in the centre of the Cambridgeshire Fens, the site was fortified by an array of earth banks and ditch

A Galatian (a Celtic people) noblewoman and the wife of the chieftain of the Tectosagi, Chiomara’s tribe fought the Romans during the Galatian War. According to philosopher Plutarch, she was captured and raped by a Roman centurion, who then demanded

Who was the real Shaka kaSenzangakhona? Despot? Illegitimate usurper? Moderniser? Skilled diplomat? Bloody tyrant? Any exploration of the history of the first king of the Zulu has to inevitably come to the conclusion that we’re not entirely sure. The

One of the curious elements of Zulu battle tactics was the use of a formation known as the impondo zankomo, or The Beast’s Horns, sometimes also referred to popularly as the Bull’s Horns formation. The structure looks a little like the head of a bull

The son of Senzangakhona’s sixth wife and half-brother of Shaka conspired to kill the Zulu king and take his place with the help of some of his other half-brothers. Without Shaka in charge, however, some of the small communities on the outer edges of

Equipped with a pointed blade, this spear was used to stab enemies from behind the large shield. A longer throwing spear called an assegai was also utilised. Shaka wasn’t averse to using firearms, but during his reign they were mostly useful for shoc

The origin of the word ‘hoax’ comes from the verb ‘hocus’ as in ‘hocus pocus’, meaning magic, trickery and flimflam. It’s appropriate, then, that the masterminds behind the various hoaxes that have been committed throughout successive centuries have

The tale of occupied Rome is not one of World War II’s better-known episodes and is rarely spoken of in the same breath as the harrowing stories of Paris and Warsaw. Yet this doesn’t mean it’s any less fascinating. In fact, the story of Rome during t

Christine de Pizan was undoubtedly one of the most revolutionary writers in history. She broke the mould at a time when both society and literature were dominated by men, building a career that was unprecedented for women in the Middle Ages. In the w

During her lifetime, France was engulfed in social and political turmoil which greatly influenced her writing. The country was already in the midst of the Hundred Years’ War against the English when King Charles VI’s bouts of instability caused a pow

There is a story once told by Bernardino de Sahagún, the Franciscan friar, missionary priest and pioneering ethnographer who participated in the Spanish colonisation of Mexico. It may be apocryphal, a retrofitted fiction crafted by the Spaniards to f

Diego Rivera was a prominent Mexican painter whose large frescoes helped establish the mural movement in Mexican art. Between 1922 and his death in 1957, Rivera painted murals in, among other places, Mexico City, Chapingo, Cuernavaca, San Francisco,

As the United States draws closer to another presidential election we wanted to take a look back at some of the people who broke important milestones in US politics. Whether representing underserved communities or ethnic minorities, these political f

The leader of the eastern army had set his sights on finishing the unification project started by those he had previously served, Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi. He would become the first shogun of the Edo period. An early muzzle-loaded matchlo

By the end of the 16th century, Oda Nobunaga had changed Japan forever. The samurai warlord had conquered his way across the country, taking control of the fractured military fiefdoms one by one. Slowly but surely Nobunaga’s bloody campaign led to th

Mitsunari was a leading official in the government of Toyotomi, but had ambitions for greater influence. He helped to muster forces to stand against Tokugawa as his influence on the ruling council grew stronger after Toyotomi’s death. Terumoto had o

The leader of Tokugawa’s advanced guard, Fukushima Masanori, charges north from the left flank towards the western army’s right-centre. The ground is muddy from rainfall so the resulting clash quickly descends into a close-quarters struggle. Witness

Who was Katherine Parr? Katherine Parr was the sixth and final wife of the infamous King Henry VIII. She was born in 1512, the daughter of Sir Thomas Parr and Maude Green. Sir Thomas was a good friend of King Henry and profited from that friendship.

While the evidence is slight and inconclusive, there are rumours that at one point Henry VIII became interested in making Catherine Willoughby his seventh wife. Willoughby was an English noblewoman born in 1519 and an outspoken supporter of the Refor

Sephardim, also known as Sephardi Jews, have a long and deep history. A group of Jews with a specifically Spanish or Portuguese heritage, they settled initially in England before being expelled in 1290. However, in the 17th and 18th centuries they re

An entertaining and sometimes uncomfortable retelling of a pivotal era in US politics Certificate: 15 Creator: Dahvi Waller Distributor: BBC/FX Cast: Cate Blanchett, Rose Byrne, Uzo Aduba Released: Out now There’s so much packed into Mrs America t

Directors: Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger Starring: Dirk Bogarde Country: United Kingdom Released: 1957 Dirk Bogarde stars in a boy’s-own approach to the real life kidnap of General Kreipe. But does it forgo fact for frivolity? 01 Based on W

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