Year: 2022
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Were The Reigns of Catherine de’ Medici and Mary I of England as violent as popular historic thought have allowed us to believe?
Written by Sophia Aiello. The reigns of both Catherine de’ Medici and Mary I have been largely defined by the extraordinary violence of their rules. However, exploring the position of contemporary religious dissenters can help shed light on their egregious reputations.
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How press censorship fostered the neglect of the Nigerian Asaba massacre
Written by Claudia Efemini. What role did British and federal Nigerian press play during the Nigerian Civil War? Claudia Efemini discusses the troubling role much of the press, influenced by neo-colonial considerations, played in enabling massacres like at Asaba and in increasing the severity of the conflict.
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Norns and Moirai: The Fates of Norse and Greek Mythology
Written by Fiona Macrae. The idea of the ‘fates’ is one repeated throughout mythology, three goddesses who spin the thread of life. Fiona Macrae examines the Fates of Norse and Greek mythology, comparing their depiction and asking why the similarities are important.
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The Last Wolf in the UK
Written by Megan Crutchley. The lore of the wolf has always had an integral connection to British folklore and mythology, but where did these ideas and connections arise?
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Elena Ferrante and the History of the Italian Language
Written by Ruth Cullen. What is the significance of using either the local dialect or the school-taught standard? Using the account of Neopolitan bilingualism from Elena Ferrante’s acclaimed novel ‘My Brilliant Friend’ as a starting point, Ruth Cullen discusses the history of the formation of modern standard Italian and its complex social relationship with the…
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Understanding Afropolitanism
Written by Megan Sickmueller. The term ‘Afropolitan’ can be traced back to a 2005 article by Taiye Tuakli-Wosornu. But what does it mean today? And how has it helped broaden the idea of what it means to be African?
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The Depiction of a Black Magus: An Early Attempt at Representation?
Written by Sophia Aiello. Representations of the three ‘wisemen’ or Magi from the story of the birth of Jesus have been varied and changeable over the history of Christianity. But how do these depictions offer a more diverse look at the world of the Bible? And what does this representation mean for modern re-enactments?
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The Rise and Fall of ETA: The Spanish Terrorist Groups’ Bloodiest Years
Written by Sally Dolphin. The Basque separatist group Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA), over it’s 50 year operation period, caused huge amounts of bloodshed in the Basque region of northern Spain. Sally Dolphin explores this violent episode in Spanish political history.
Retrospect Journal 