M.J. Rose

We love it when such incredibly unusual and well preserved ancient specimens are uncovered. It’s really the only thing we can think of that’s not terrible about global warming…

Incredibly Preserved Frozen Cave Lions Found In Siberia

“In remote and icy Siberia, bodies of long extinct ancient animals are often found preserved within the thick permafrost, from woolly mammoths to ancient horses. These carcasses have been so well preserved, that some reports suggest that the meat is often fresh enough to eat, and can even contain liquid blood. In another stunning find, The Siberian Times reports the “sensational” discovery of two almost perfectly preserved cave lion cubs.

Thought to be at least 10,000 years old, the lions were found earlier this summer in the Sakha (Yakutia) Republic of Siberia, famed for many other striking discoveries of ice age animals. The creatures lived during the Pleistocene, when the world was gripped by repeated ice ages as glaciers expanded and retracted. All that had been previously found of cave lions in the area were some skulls and fragments of teeth and bones…”

For the rest, click here to go to IFLS.

We think these artifacts rather beautiful actually!

Edison’s Talking Dolls Can Now Provide The Soundtrack To Your Nightmares (NPR – All Things Considered)

“Back in 1890, Thomas Edison gave us some of the world’s first talking dolls. Today, the glassy-eyed cherubs that are still around stand about 2 feet tall; they have wooden limbs and a metal body; and they sound supercreepy. (If you’re looking for a soundtrack to your nightmares, listen to the audio story above.) Edison built and sold about 500 of them back in 1890. Now, new technology has made hearing them possible for the first time in decades.

Jerry Fabris, who curates sound recordings at the Thomas Edison National Historical Park, says part of what makes the recordings so unsettling is that they were most likely read by a female factory worker imitating a little girl. (For example: Here’s a shrieking recitation of “A Child’s Prayer” that you will never unhear.)…”

For the rest of the story click here.

Listen to the story —

A scholarly piece on the origin and meanings of a faith we know and love…

The Fairy Faith: An ancient indigenous European Religion
By Carolyn Emerick

“There are two different meanings to the term “Fairy Faith.” On one hand, it simply refers to the old folkloric belief in fairies, and the practices found therein.  This meaning is usually ascribed to the modern Celtic nations of Ireland and Scotland, where belief in fairies lingered long into the modern era. In this sense, it is analogous to other places where belief in fairy-like creatures continued even into the present day, such as in Iceland and even in some Native American or Canadian First Nations traditions.

The second meaning is found in the modern neo-pagan community. It seems that the neo-pagan Fairy Faith sprung from the Wiccan community somewhere around the 1970s in California. As the modern pagan movement proliferated, many different paths developed. Some were divergent variants branching off of Wicca, while others were born in the reconstructionist movement (reconstructionist meaning attempts to reconstruct the ancient indigenous religions of Europe, the Mediterranean, and elsewhere, with historical accuracy). Yet more versions of neo-pagan paths emerged that were influenced by these, but took their own shape and form. So in the modern pagan community, the Fairy Faith has various incarnations and meanings. This article will focus mainly on the first definition, but will touch lightly on the second.

Origins of Fairy Belief
The modern notion of fairy vastly different from that which our ancestors knew, and even antiquated descriptions vary widely. While it’s fair to say that the image of the fairy has changed a number of times, it’s origins sprang from the murky haze of the Neolithic period…”

For the rest, click here.