*impulse

The Real Story Behind The Dragon Emperor's Tomb

There is likely a documentary or two coming up that will piggy back on the success of The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. When well done, combining dazzling effects with studious knowledge, these programs complement the films tremendously.

And, following in the footsteps of The History Channel and The Discovery Channel, we offer a few interesting factoids about the real life emperor on which the Dragon Emperor is based, Qin Shi Huang, taken straight from the Wikipedia article on the subject:

1. when he became ruler, Qin Shi Huang abolished the feudalism that was prevalent throughout China at the time
2. of particular interest to *impulse, Qin Shi Huang sought the The Elixir of Life in his elder years
3. his building projects include the precursor to the Great Wall of China, a national road system [sure to be a History Channel favorite], and the unbelievably awe inspiring example of funerary art, The Terracotta Army
4. he outlawed Confucianism in the most brutal fashion

Photo is from The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor website gallery.
 

A Dream of Totems

Ancient Spaces exhibit at the University of British Columbia website

My beloved awakens after dreaming of an ancient, subterranean shrine and starts looking up totemic images online. Not to pretend to have been an ancient warrior at the dawn of civilization, nor to attempt to bond, in the most shallow, distasteful fashion, with indigenous peoples, but rather to simply reawaken the dream within her via the stylized evolutionary hierarchies and symbols of strength and protection that are totems.

This led us to the 3D modeling of ancient sites underway via the University of British Columbia's Ancient Spaces endeavor: Machu Picchu, the Acropolis, ancient barks, and more dazzle spectators and hint at near-future, virtual world immersion in reconstructed ancient kingdoms, perhaps the seventh generation of God of War and Zeus: Master of Olympus.

Or, even finer, the greenest of tourism: virtual ancient world tourism. The idea is anything but fresh, but its realization is still eagerly awaited by a longing few.

The Search for More Invincible Monsters Continues

Medieval Bestiary: Dragon

Look out, Superman and The Incredible Hulk, a list of invincible beasts in mythology is being compiled here: monsters that will make you quake in your spandex and shredded trousers!

Though qualified and watered down for modern fantasy and role playing games, the medieval dragon was often invulnerable to physical attacks, was primordial, fearsome, and unbelievably huge, and would doubtlessly give Superman, The Hulk or Silver Surfer the business in a really quick and effortless manner.

Bartholomaeus Anglicus notes of the serpent: "for to the end to slay anything, to him venom is not needful, for whom he findeth he slayeth"

And, further, from the Harley MS 4751 (Harley Bestiary): "It is harmless as to poisons, but they say poisons are not needful to this creature for dealing death, because if it has caught any one in its coils, it kills him."

And, in the cascading style sheets of invincibility, the most ancient is prioritized, for it is cryptozoological, frightening, immense, and terrifying.

Up next, perhaps the Basilisk, Catoblepas, or the Kraken.

Jade Use in Mesoamerica

Similar in color to water and vegetation, the Mesoamericans associated jade with life and death.
Trace element types and amounts present affect the overall color of jade.
Jade ranked high on the Mayan Mohs Hardness Scale, being the second hardest material known to them.
Opacity ranges from nearly transparent to fully opaque.

A fascinating History Channel-style featurette on Wikipedia.

Link: Jade use in Mesoamerica - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Photo is by John Hill and is of a jade Mayan pectoral decoration from the classical period.

If You Liked 300 and Meet the Spartans:

Then check out the Old Time Radio show You Are There's take on the battle of Thermopylae:
Thermopylae on You Are There