María Lionza statue María Lionza is an indigenous Venezuelan religion that dates back to the 14th century By Cristina Carter PhD Student in Religious Studies Florida State University María Lionza is an indigenous Venezuelan religion that dates back to the 14th century. Combining Catholic, West African, and indigenous religions it was outlawed from being practiced[…]
The shrinking of human heads was originally only practised by the Shuar people to trap the souls of their enemies, but tsantsas (shrunken heads) became a big trade thanks to the demand of European collectors leading to many fakes. By Charlie Morgan / 06.27.2014 Visitor Experience Assistant Wellcome Collection Introduction At some point in the[…]
Print depicting enslaved people producing sugar in Antigua, 1823 / British Library, Public Domain After the Caribbean was first colonised by Spain in the 15th century, a system of sugar planting and enslavement evolved. David Lambert explores how this system changed the region, and how enslaved people continued to resist colonial rule. By Dr. David[…]
Slaves loading rum barrels from Ten Views in the Island of Antigua (1823) by William Clark. Courtesy British Library/Wikipedia With its huge sugar plantations and brutal slave regime, this was the jewel in the imperial crown. By Dr. Christer Petley / 11.02.2018 Professor, School of Humanities University of Southampton It is no surprise that the whip is synonymous[…]
How colonists cloaked violence beneath a veneer of gentility and conquered peoples held to religion to preserve their sense of community. Interview of Dr. Jennifer Graber by Daniel Gorman, Jr. / 09.17.2018 Graber: Associate Professor of Religious Studies, The University of Texas at Austin Gorman: PhD Candidate in History, University of Rochester The following was[…]
Temple II, Tikal, Guatemala. The temple was used as a tomb, probably for the queen of Maya ruler Jasaw Chan K’awiil (r. 682-734 CE), although, no remains have been discovered. The temple is 42 metres high and faces the larger temple-pyramid of Jasaw Chan K’awiil. / Photo by Mike Vondran, Wikimedia Commons Maya religious beliefs are formed on the notion that virtually[…]