Cathar Castles

So far in time but so close geographically. In southern France, in the region of Languedoc, the holdouts are located Cathars gue Paris resisted the crusade against "heretics".

From the walled city of Carcassone to the magical village of Cordes sur le Ciel, the 'perfect' and the knights gue defended the mysterious dualistic religion, troubadours gue proclaimed the courtly love and the ladies gue protecting the grail of the new religion maintained during A century and a half a society gue was scorched in blood and fire.

The Guemes were perfect, King of Aragon assassinated in front of Muret, castles razed and the crowds were trying to protect follows the progress of the crusaders of Simon de Montfort massacred. Today Guedes towers of legend, medieval towns, and the memory of one of the most mysterious spiritual movements in Europe.

The split personality of Philip II

Few historical figures have attracted the attention of both specialists. Indeed, Philip II had a personality that always resulted in a continuing indecision. A childhood marked by the shadow of the father, a youth who was being discussed between the forced chastity of a deep and rigid religious and natural sexual impulses of age.

That idea of children subjected to the father and never expressed through the catharsis, is not the only one that caught the attention of scholars. Charcot ascribed to an imbalance caused by his nervous early political responsibilities, and above all, by the need to hide, as a Catholic, strong sexual urges that the prince had in his youth. Even Marañon dealing with more benevolence the character refers to his possible duality, his emotional balance difficult, because of its enormous power over the world then and the need to be humble son of God. This dual condition that the emperors of the Middle Ages could be overcome without problems was difficult for a prince of the Renaissance and the Modern Age.

The human profile of the so-called wise king, was a much more jovial man, active, original and worship of what history to use had led to believe. To begin with, almost never wore black. If you look at the various tables, Philip II appears dressed in red, white, gold, of all colors. Only now very elderly, dressed in black ever and it might be to set an example under the new laws austerity advised to lower the black ostentation and luxury excessive nobles.

The espionage was in the sixteenth century three services particularly prominent: the Vatican, Venice and those of Spain. They were well above those of France and England. There are letters of cloth to the messenger, being searched, was not intercepted by keeping a written paper. As for reading specialists, argue that existed at the convent of San Felipe in the Puerta del Sol, a group of monks specialized in deciphering messages from the enemy. It had calculated the time with almost total accuracy, that a message be translated achieved.

For his part, King was a great protector of science and theatre. Nor was the murderer of his son, intended as a romantic legend. In spite ordered his confinement in his mastery of Infante Don Carlos, crazy and criminal tendencies. What is shown now is that there is a distinct Philip II, more active and effective, much less fierce and unforgiving of what is usually associated with the image austere and sad that he has been giving. This does not save every one of his actions during his long reign but at least you can start a historic judgement from other viewpoints.

The WolfMan

WolfMan is man's mixture and of wolf. Not it is that he has a part of their body of each one of these beings, but rather of a moment to another he passes of being a man common to a ferocious wolf, the same of a terror story. According to the legend, with the same speed the ferocious wolf transforms into man again, although it conserves features or prints of the moments in that it was wolf and it attacked, it killed and it destroyed all that crossed in his road. All will wonder why they transform into wolf, who they are those that possess this quality, if it is or not voluntary, among other polling. The truth is that the answers are very varied, but it is worth to clarify that there is who assure to know WolfMan's. They speak of their grandfather's neighbor, or of a son of the neighboring family that in certain festival nights or of full moon, he transformed, in beasts. It is said that there are certain features (as being very high, very low, too thin, or with the very exitted teeth, or the prominent eyeteeth) that indicate that the person could be a wolfman. Dozens of stories and beliefs boost the imagination of big and petty that don't take in counting to the even smaller ones on the terrible man wolf that watches...

Belief superstition or bare terror story, the certain thing is that the legend of the wolfman is counted in the whole world for hundred of years. It is more, the wolfman had its minute of glory, or rather, its time of gold. It was there for the XVI century. In France, for example, it was spoken that it existed kind of an epidemic of crimes caused by the wolfman (call there "loup garou"). For this lawsuit, and for the fear that invaded people every time that was spoken of the beast, more than 30.000 people that assured to become animals they were roasted alive, hung up or decapitated.

The certain thing is that the history of the wolfman is counted different it counts it to him according to where. Thousands of explanations have been assayed to be about understanding man's transformations in murderous beast. Among them it is said that a seventh male son of a family without daughters, wolfman is always born, and that although it grows without any signal that identifies it as beast, in the day fewer thought the boy it attacks. It is also said that a partnership agreement with the demon can cost who doesn't make it, to have to live the remainder of its life like wolfman. It is even commented that if they are carried out rituals in having determined dates it nails, something can come out bad and the witchdoctor to end transformed into wolfman. And until it is said that who drinks water of the puddle of where he drank a wolf, he transforms into wolfman.

These beliefs died down in the XIX century, when the reason seemed to win to the superstitions that you/they spoke of this beast, and the lobizón he only stayed I live in the literature and in the cinema. However, still today, in the nights of full moon, there is who revive the man's history that for an or another reason, he transforms into beast and it howls alerting the neighbors.

King Arthur of Camelot Myths and Legends

Arthur is born in an encounter among Igrayane, wife of Gorlois, and the king Uther Pendragon (transformed into Gorlois by the magician Merlín).

The boy was delivered to sir Ector so that it raised him as if it was his son.
When the king Uther died and Arturo turned 16 years, Merlín revealed him/her its true paternity after the youth was able to take out a sword nailed in an incus that nobody could take out of not being "the true king from all England"
Under Arturo's reign, England enjoyed 12 years of peace, in those that the chivalry flourished.

Arthur gathered in his castle from Camelot to the most valiant gentlemans in his Kingdom: Lancelot, Gawain, Percival... and he/she sat down them around a great round-table with their names encumbered in gold in their respective seats.
Marline teaches to combat the crime, the cruelty, to be merciful, not to lie, to respect and to protect the women...
The gentlemans traveled from Camelot to fight against dragons, goblins, giants and their encounters against the forces of the not well generally happened in bewitched castles, somber forests and magic gardens, and later they returned to the court to count their feats.

Arthur brought to Camelot to gin to be his queen, but Lancelot you falls in love of her and, when being discovered by Mordred, Arturo exitted after them and I take charge his Kingdom to Mordred, this you takes possession of the Kingdom and, when returning, Arturo faced Mordred to death. Mordred, ante mortem, hurt the king. Arthur's faithful citizens put to the moribund one in a boat that navigated heading for Avalón, the saints' mythical island and earth of the apples that the eternal youth that awaits the conquering heroes symbolize. It is said that Arthur was cured in Avalón and many followers prophesied his return.

The magician Merlin
Marline is possibly the character more extrtaño of the king's legend Arthur.
A compassionate woman's son and a íncubo, malignant ethereal spirit of which was said that it attacked to the innocent ones at night.
When being born, Merlín, it was taken to the baptismal battery, for what didn't inherit their father's malignant nature, but if he/she had certain supernatural powers. He/she knew the past and it predicted the future, and it could transform optional in the form that he/she wanted: goblin, dog, deer, woman...
Before writing their "History of the kings from England" Godofredo of Monmouth he/she wrote a brief treaty in called Latin "The petty book of Merlín" that made public the magician's physique.

Legend Black of the Shepherding

his is a sad history... nobody knows if it is actual, but all they count it as if it was it. Today, the black of the shepherding is an amulet of the luck that is good to find lost things and to be protected of the wrongs. Let us begin with the start, when the black was a petty boy in the flesh...

There for 1871, there was in Uruguay a rich farmer (some say that it was Portuguese, other Spanish one), owner of a great sheepfold of sheep and several slaves. Among their servitude he/she was an about 12 year-old black, that had as task to take care of the gentleman's sheep. That was the famous Black of the Shepherding. They count that it was very flaquito for their age, and that he/she had some big and sad eyes.

Every day, the petty black went out with the sheepfold to search a place of tender grass for the sheep. There the whole day passed, until it arrived the night and the black, tired and hungry, returned to its homestead. He/she never complained. A summer afternoon, the black always made the routine, and it took to the sheep to the green grass. But the heat of that day was unbearable, so the petty slave was thrown to the shade of an ombú to be protected of so much sun. But unintentionally, it was sleeping. When he/she opened the eyes, their master was in front of him, extremely angry for the inattention. Where are my sheep?, they say that he/she screamed him/her. The black didn't know what to tell him/her, but imagining that it will be flogged with force, he/she asked for forgiveness. Where are my sheep?, it continued screaming the master, more and more angry. The sheep were close, because the black grieves he/she had slept some minutes. So after walking some steps, the boy found the sheepfold that he pastured peacefully. Alleviated the petty slave was when the master realized something: it lacked a lamb, a black lamb as him that accidentally was the favorite of their master.

The black of the shepherding offered to search it forthwith, but the master was so angry that he decided to punish him without at least to give him/her the opportunity to search it. He/she thought of flogging it until the fatigue, but he/she was happened a better idea of punishing him, or rather, much worse. Without the black opposed submitted, the master it tied it to some stakes that it arranged above an anthill. And he/she left it there. The end of the history is obvious: the black died, itched by the ants and roasted by the sun. Newly to the three days of that horrible tragedy, some troperos that happened over there found it dead.

From then on, the Black of the Shepherding transformed into martyr, and its history passes from a generation to another. Their image was transformed in prints and in an amulet that many take hung up of the neck. Every time that gets lost something, the black is who he/she makes miracles so that the lost object appears. And the certain thing is that he/she appears, the same as that black lamb that was simply to some meters beyond the sheepfold, being protected, the same as the black, under the shade of a tree.

The Trefoil of 4 Sheets

Who sees a woman revolving the grass, he/she will know that he/she is a spinster that is searching a trefoil of four sheets. Why? It counts the legend that the women that have been single, commonly called spinsters, should find a trefoil of four sheets so that his blue prince that takes it to the altar appears. Or to the the best thing not the blue prince, but yes who takes them to the altar. When finding it, the woman has go to put it in a vase with water, taking care that her four sheets are perfectly oriented toward the four cardinal points. He/she will know this way from where their future husband will arrive. They say the evil tongues that many the women that crawled in search of that good luck, were and that few were the fortunate ones. It is that to find the famous trefoil of four sheets is as finding a needle in a barn.

As almost all the legends or superstitions, little it is known about their origin. From boys we hear say that to find a trefoil of four sheets is sign of good luck, but the reason, it is an entire mystery and reason of many joint ventures. For example, the Christian of the Half Age saw it like a representation of Christ's cross, and they said that a trefoil of four sheets was the only thing that Eva of the garden of Eden was taken. Others assure that each one of their sheets had a meaning, and that it represented the faith, the hope, the love and the luck.

In Ireland, to travel to another place of the world, for many centuries it is used mainly as protective element and he/she associates it to San Patricio, standard of that country. Also linked to the marriage, but not only to the spinsters, it is believed that this petty plant brings good luck to the girlfriend; for that reason during the XVII century he/she expanded the custom of disseminating trefoils of four sheets before the fiancés to protect them, because it frightened the bad spirits and the malicious charms, allowing that as much the boyfriends as the companies enjoy calm of that so special day.

With so good omens, they give desires of exitting to search one. But the great question is: what to make with the trefoil if somebody finds it? Some affirm that so that he/she gives good luck it is necessary to insert it in the shoe; others believe that it is better to insert it among the sheets of the Bible, or of the header book; it doesn't lack the naturist that believes that to assure good luck the plant it should be returned to earth, of where it exitted. And the theories and belief continue. A lot it is said of the trefoil. But if there is something certain in this whole myth it is that until today's day, the trefoil of four sheets brings luck to who you/they market it. Transformed into amulet, in hanging, I band, pin and until self-adhesive, this plant enjoys a great popularity and it is used everywhere of the world.

Legend of Culebrilla

Every day, the doña looked at its leg with concern. Besides the pain that invaded it, the concern resided in that they had told him/her that that red line that had in the right calf was no more, no less that the culebrilla (it is named this way because it is supposed that their infection comes from the step of a viper or snake on the clothes). Their neighbor had told it to him who had also been some years ago victim of this affection, but in her shoulder. They say that this eruption, with snake form, has a serious problem: if the queue and the head of the supposed snake unite, the person that has it dies. So every day, the doña looked at its leg and he/she did with concern how they came closer the tips.

All suggested him/her homemade formulas to kill that culebrilla. Somebody assured him/her that the better era to rub a toad on the culebrilla so that this absorbed the poison. Other they told him/her that he/she had to write with Chinese ink in both ends of the line the words "Jesús, María and José." They also recommended him/her another formula, perhaps of the good known ones that it consists on filling a vessel with some water and to take three paths, while the following sentence is recited three times a day during three days: "I went for a road, I met with San Pablo, he/she asked me what he/she had, I answered that it was culebrilla that with what would be treated. San Pablo Responded: with water of the font and path of... (name of the sick person)."

That that popularly is known as culebrilla it is an illness called Herpes zoster. It is about an acute infection that takes place for activation of latent virus of which most is carriers: Varicella-zoster or human Herpes virus 3 that it attacks to the ganglions of the sensitive later roots of the spinal ledges. This is the scientific explanation, and the one that can be in the books of Medicine. However, the history of the culebrilla that includes the possibility to die if they join "the queue and the head", it is a myth that accompanies for rituals, and it is taken as true of point that he/she repeats and he/she repeats. Many people that have suffered it, assure that the own physicians could not be treated it and yes the shamans. The culebrilla is one of those petty discords between the science and the tradition. But that it exists, it exists.