Long-form essays and reflections from the Domina Tempora archive.
Gods, Goddesses and Rabbits: the Ancient Myths of the Moon
Before the first moon landing in 1969, the Chinese moon goddess Chang’e was mentioned in the Apollo 11 Air-to-Ground Voice Transcription between the Spacecraft Center in Houston, Texas and the Apollo 11 crew. The center said, “Among the large headlines concerning Apollo this morning, there’s one asking that you watch for a lovely girl with […]
There is an unusual rock formation in the Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia, on the north escarpment of the Jamison Valley. The three rocks stand close to the town of Katoomba and are one of the Blue Mountains’ best known sites, each towering above 900 meter (nearly 3000 foot) -heights. These three rocks, known […]
Mai Kahiki ka wahine, o Pele, Mai ka aina i Pola-pola, Mai ka punohu ula a Kane, Mai ke ao lalapa i ka lani, 5 Mai ka opua lapa i Kahiki. (From Kahiki came the woman, Pele, From the land of Pola-pola, From the red cloud of Kane, Cloud blazing in the heavens, 5 Fiery […]
In his Argonautica, ancient Greek author Apollonius of Rhodes gives us a rather romantic introduction of Medea as a young woman desperately in love. Unfortunately, this introduction quickly takes on a sinister turn and casts Medea as one of the most famous and controversial figures in Greek mythology. To understand how this happened, it is […]
The fox plays a wide range of roles in 42 out of the 358 of Aesop’s fables. It is generally described as a quick, intelligent and adaptable animal which no doubt led to its importance as a symbol of cleverness in most cultures. In mythology, the fox usually has a positive connotation. In early Mesopotamian […]
These days, it’s common knowledge that beer is among the earliest drinks ever made by humans. We can trace the origins of beer-related objects and activities back to ancient times. Findings from the Sumerian settlement of Godin Tepe in modern-day Iran have corroborated evidence of early beer brewing, suggesting that beer manufacture may have begun […]
Hera, the ancient Greek goddess of marriage and family, frequently exacted quick and brutal retribution on Zeus’ adultery, not on her adulterous husband but rather on his conquests and the offspring they produced. Knowing that the sight of Zeus’ celestial body would instantly destroy Semele, she deceived her into requesting him to show himself in […]
