Compass: Did you mean...?

The Dialogue of Pessimism (c. 1000 BCE) is a Babylonian poem featuring a master and his slave in ten exchanges during which the master proposes an action, and the slave gives reasons for and against its pursuit. The piece has been interpreted...

Ancient China had seen little Western contact before the 16th century CE, the language, culture and science all being allowed to develop independently of foreign influence. By the time European Jesuit missionaries arrived in the 16th century...

The Dun Horse is a Pawnee tale about a poor boy and his grandmother, who find an old horse and take it in. The horse turns out to be magical, however, and improves their fortunes considerably. Like many Pawnee legends – and Native American...

Wihio tales are the Cheyenne legends featuring the trickster figure Wihio, who appears, variously, as a wise man, fool, villain, or hero and is associated with the spider. Wihio Tales continue to be as popular with the Cheyenne today as they...

Badger-Woman is a story of the Arapaho nation about a noble young hunter who refuses the advances of his sister-in-law and is then betrayed by her. The tale is similar to those of other civilizations, notably Two Brothers (The Fate of an...

Found In the Grass is a legend of the Algonquian-speaking nations of the Plains Indians and one of the most famous. The story is told in many different versions, but the best-known comes from the Cheyenne and features the child hero Mok-so-is...

The Little Girl and the Ghost is a legend of the Cheyenne nation concerning a young girl abducted by a spirit after she is cast out by her mother. The story explores many themes common in Cheyenne literature, including the importance of following...

The Woodpecker's Mother-in-Law is a Cheyenne tale which, like any other, is open to various interpretations but, among them, highlights the strength and autonomy of Cheyenne women. The old woman and her daughter each possess supernatural...

The Proto-geometric style (1000-900 BCE) of Greek pottery decoration was a forerunner of the full Geometric style. This amphora dates from the first half of the 10th century BCE and displays the popular circle design. These were achieved...

A detail of a chart showing lines of magnetic compass variation made in 1702 by the English scientist and cartographer Edmond Halley (1656-1742). Halley hoped the chart would aid navigation but the variations in magnetism over time made it...