Latest news with #Medieval
Irish Independent
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Hidden Wicklow nature sanctuary to host ‘Music in the Forest' festival
Dorlindon Nature Sanctuary is a little-known spot situated between Roundwood and Kilmacanogue. It blends magical, fantasy‑themed handcrafted elements—like elven domes, log bridges, shrines, and rustic stone structures—with pristine forest and wetland habitats. Forest warden Brendan Hyldbrand said: 'We have been operating for the past seven years at Dorlindon Nature Sanctuary, and continue to develop and rewild the site. We want it to be accessible but without comprising too much at the same time. It's about giving space to nature, and the compromise involved. Once humans are involved in nature, there has to be a compromise as well. 'I suppose you would call me the owner, but really we don't own anything as we won't be around forever. I rewilded the place and included a number of structures, which I crafted myself.' Music in the Forest will run over weekends in July and August, bringing together live performances of Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque music, performed in a mythical forest environment. Brendan added: 'This is our first time hosting a festival like this and it is something we are very excited about. We have hosted events such as weddings, yoga retreats and school treasure hunts before. The weddings we hosted were pretty low key and involved lovers of nature. 'The festival dates will have a maximum of 135 people permitted as we want to limit the potential impact on biodiversity. It's a rare opportunity to gather, listen, and reflect in a place where music, imagination, and tradition meet. A contribution from the proceeds will go to the Children's Health Foundation.' The festival will feature 3pm to 5pm daytime concerts in a natural forest amphitheatre. Things got underway on Saturday, July 19, with Catherine Rhatigan, Treasa Ni Mhaoilean and Eileen Carr. On Saturday, July 26, a selection of Renaissance sacred polyphony from Josquin Desprez sacred music, performed by the Renaissance music vocal ensemble based in Dublin. Join Traditional Arts Collective on Saturday, August 2, for an afternoon of traditional music, myth, dance and song. You will hear tales from Irish mythology and be introduced to ancient instruments including Irish bronze age horn, flute, harp, voice and bodhrán along with sean-nós dancing demonstrations. Kathleen Loughnane and Cormac Cannon will explore 17th- and 18th-century Irish and Scottish repertoire on Sunday, August 3, drawing from the manuscripts of early music collectors. With her harp arrangements and Cormac's deep dive into the piping traditions of past uilleann masters, their programme blends solo and collaborative pieces. Cormac joins on pipes, flute, and whistle for a selection of tunes that bring old sounds vividly to life. ADVERTISEMENT Learn more Paul Dooley and Kseniya Rusnak present an eclectic selection of traditional tunes from Ireland and Ukraine on Saturday, August 9,, including music from the old Irish harper composers and the medieval harp repertoire, songs and some contemporary pieces. On Sunday, August 17, Ravensdale will present compositions that include a variety of inspirations from the Early Medieval period and are sang in Old Norse, Slavic, English and Germanic, in reference to Slavic and Nordic lore. The vocal octet Dynamics Vocal Ensemble presents a selection of choral music ranging from the renaissance to contemporary, from Farmer, Palestrina, Monteverdi, Pärt, Alfven, Kodaly to Irish and German folk songs, on Saturday, August 23. Tickets for each concert can be purchased by visiting
Forbes
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Today's ‘Wordle' #1491 Hints, Clues And Answer For Saturday, July 19th
How to solve today's Wordle. Looking for Friday's Wordle hints, clues and answer? You can find them here: We're basically rushing toward the end of July already. This time of year, as we dip into the back half, I'm always a little stunned. So much has happened in 2025 already, but it still feels like we shouldn't be this close to Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, 2026. Let's not think about all that, though. It's summertime. Stop and smell the roses. And then solve a Wordle with me. How To Solve Today's Wordle The Hint: Medieval armament. The Clue: This Wordle has far more consonants than vowels. Okay, spoilers below! The answer is coming! FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder . . . Today's Wordle Every day I check Wordle Bot to help analyze my guessing game. You can check your Wordles with Wordle Bot right here. BALMY—which I snagged from today's Strands puzzle—was a terrible opening guess today. 896 words remained and all grey boxes. SPIRE slashed that number way, way down to just 7. SNORT left me with only one: SWORD for the win! If you added LE to the end of that word, you'd get SWORDLE which could be a fun word game about Medieval stuff or weapons or something. I just like swords a lot. I own six or seven. Today's Wordle Bot The Bot and I each get zero points today for tying and guessing in four, so our July scores remain: Erik: 5 points Wordle Bot: 9 points The word "sword" comes from Old English sweord, related to Old High German swert and Old Norse sverð. All derive from Proto-Germanic swerdam, though the exact origin is uncertain. It may be linked to the root swer- meaning 'to cut' or 'to hurt.' Let me know how you fared with your Wordle today on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. Also be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel and follow me here on this blog where I write about games, TV shows and movies when I'm not writing puzzle guides. Sign up for my newsletter for more reviews and commentary on entertainment and culture.
CNN
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- CNN
Spanish government official calls for investigation into Lamine Yamal's birthday party ‘objectifying' people with dwarfism
A Spanish government official has called for an investigation into Barcelona star Lamine Yamal's 18th birthday party after a prominent disability activist group said organizers of the event hired people with dwarfism 'solely for entertainment and attractions' in contravention of Spanish law. Yamal hosted the party on Sunday at a private property he had rented in the small town of Olivella, 50 kilometers (about 31 miles) southwest of Barcelona, with several online influencers in attendance along with Barça teammates. The Association of People with Achondroplasia and other Skeletal Dysplasias in Spain (ADEE) said in a statement that it 'denounces the hiring of people with dwarfism as entertainment' at the party. 'We will take action through legal and social channels,' the ADEE added. ADEE President Carolina Puente added in the statement: 'It's unacceptable in the 21st century that people with dwarfism are still used as amusement in private parties and even worse when these incidents involve public figues like Lamine Yamal. The dignity and rights of our collective are not the entertainment of anyone, under any circumstance.' Jesús Martín Blanco, director general of the rights of people with disabilities in Spain's Ministry of Social Rights, told Europa Press he has 'asked the relevant authorities to open the necessary investigations to determine what happened' at the party. Martín Blanco said that the hiring of people with dwarfism at private parties is something that 'objectifies' the performers and takes '(us) back to past times, Medieval times.' 'We're worried that a well-known person who can have such an influence over young people uses these people in such a harmful way for a private party,' Martín Blanco added. Martín Blanco added that he has contacted the General Prosecutor's Office and the National Office of the Fight Against Hate Crimes to investigate the matter. CNN Sports has contacted Yamal's representatives and both offices for comment. Spanish law currently bans any event which 'uses people with disabilities … to arouse jokes, mockery or derision of (said people) contrary to the respect owed to human dignity.' While there is currently no civil or criminal punishment for any infraction, a reform to the law was recently approved by the government and sent to the Spanish parliament for final passage that would reportedly allow for fines ranging from €600,000 (about $695,200) to €1 million ($1.16 million) for serious offenses. However, two people with dwarfism who say they were hired for the party released a joint statement pushing back against critics of the events – and the ADEE specifically – for their stance. In a post on Instagram, Juan Alberto Duaso and Miggie DJ said the ADEE 'does not represent us nor does it speak on our behalf.' 'As adults with achondroplasia, commonly known as dwarfism, we have our own voice, our own judgment, and full capacity to make decisions about our personal and professional lives,' the statement said. 'We are not part of this association, nor have we been consulted or asked for our opinions before making public accusations that directly affect us.' The pair added that they feel 'deeply proud to have been invited to this event,' and, 'we strongly reject any suggestion that we have been ridiculed or used, as has been publicly claimed without evidence.' 'It was a professional and human experience in which we were treated with respect,' also saying that they reserve the right to take legal action against any attempts to damage their reputation. CNN Sports has contacted the ADEE for comment.
Scientific American
15-07-2025
- Health
- Scientific American
Pneumonic Plague Infections in Modern Times Show the Black Death Isn't Dead
Plague is often associated with Medieval history and the centuries-old Black Death epidemic, but a recent death in northern Arizona is a troublesome reminder of the flea-borne disease's lingering hold in parts of the world, including the U.S. Local health officials in Arizona's Coconino County, which includes the city of Flagstaff, confirmed late last week that a person there had died of pneumonic plague —a severe lung infection caused by Yersinia pestis, the bacterium behind the illness. Human infections and fatalities from plague are relatively rare in the U.S.; according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, seven human cases are reported annually on average. Prior to the Arizona case, the most recent death was reported in 2021. Y. pestis arrived in port cities in the U.S. around 1900 and has since become endemic to rats and other rodents in western U.S. states including New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, California, Oregon and Nevada. 'From a public health standpoint in the U.S., it's a scary thing that it's plague, and it's tragic that that this was a fatal case, but people need to remember that it's extremely rare,' says David Wagner, executive director of the Pathogen and Microbiome Institute at Northern Arizona University, who has studied plague for more than 25 years. 'Not to be flippant, but it's more important that you put your seat belt on going to the grocery store than it is to worry about plague in the western U.S.' On supporting science journalism If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today. Scientific American spoke with Wagner about plague's signs and symptoms, and its persistence across time. [ An edited transcript of the interview follows. ] How do people get sick with plague? Plague is caused by the bacterium Y. pestis and is really a disease of rodents and their fleas. You have an infected rodent; a flea feeds on the blood of that rodent, and it picks up some Y. pestis. Then when the flea feeds on another rodent, it can pass along the Y. pestis. It's constantly cycling back and forth between rodents and fleas in nature; that's how it's been maintained for thousands of years in the environment around the world. What's the difference between bubonic and pneumonic plague? People call it the Black Death; they call it bubonic plague; they call it pneumonic plague—it's all the same disease, just different clinical manifestations. What stands apart [with the recent case is] that it's pneumonic plague. That's kind of rare, especially in the U.S. Pretty much all human cases, with a few exceptions, are acquired from the environment—from the bite of an infected flea. If there isn't a rodent host for that flea to feed on, it will look for other mammals to feed on. And if humans happen to be in proximity, it will feed on humans and can transmit Y. pestis. If the immune system doesn't stop Y. pestis at the source of the flea bite, it will migrate through your lymphatic system to your closest major lymph node. So let's say I was bit on my wrist; then the bacteria would go to that lymph node in my underarm and start to reproduce there. And that mass swelling, that swollen lymph node, is called a bubo—that's why it's called bubonic plague. These days, it's a dead end because there's not flea-borne transmission from one human to another. It just stops there with the treatment or death of that individual. Left untreated, though, bubonic plague can get down into your lungs via the bloodstream. That's called secondary pneumonic plague. Those individuals, then, via cough or direct contact, can spread plague person-to-person, and that's called primary pneumonic plague. What people might not know is that plague has been endemic throughout the western U.S. in rodent populations for more than 100 years. Someone could also get pneumonic plague from an animal—for example, if they were handling an infected animal and that animal coughed. Sometimes hunters in Central Asia will kill [infected] ground squirrels, and when they're skinning them can inhale particles. People also talk about septicemic plague, and that means it's gotten into your bloodstream, and that typically also arises from bubonic plague. You could also get [septicemic plague] directly if you had cuts on your hands and were handling rodents without gloves. Can pets get infected or transmit plague to humans? Pets, especially free-roaming ones, may come into contact with dead rodents that have died of plague. Fleas can hop onto pets, which then bring them into the home. This is pretty rare because there are so few [human] cases in the U.S., but that is something we think about. Flea and tick collars are a good idea. If animals do get sick, most of the evidence shows that dogs fight off the infection and can create antibodies against Y. pestis. Cats are more susceptible and can quickly become sick and actually can progress to pneumonic plague. It's super, super rare, but that's a possible way for humans to be exposed to pneumonic plague. What are the symptoms and treatment? With bubonic plague, typically people develop a fever, headache, chills and fatigue, and then they'll get those swollen lymph nodes called buboes. It typically takes a few days to manifest because it sort of starts off in stealthy mode inside the body to try and avoid the immune system. Plague is easily treated with many different types of antibiotics, as long as it's caught in time. If untreated, bubonic plague mortality rates may be somewhere between 30 to 60 percent, depending on the situation. Pneumonic plague, left untreated, is almost always fatal. So diagnostics become really important. The challenge is that many physicians in the U.S. have never seen plague. The symptoms are a bit common to other things, so rapid testing in the lab can help. Where is plague typically found in the U.S. and around the world? What people might not know is that plague has been endemic throughout the western U.S. in rodent populations for more than 100 years. It just so happened that a lot of the rodent host species in Central Asia, where it evolved, were quite similar to some of the ground squirrels that we have here in the U.S. It was first reported in native ground squirrels in California in 1908 and was in human populations before then. And then it spread really rapidly to the east and just sort of stopped at the western edge of North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas. It's a bit of a mystery why; the rodent diversity and climate changes quite a bit in [that region]. I'm also currently working on plague with colleagues in Madagascar, which has more human plague cases than any other country —around 75 percent of the global [case] total. It has hundreds to thousands of cases every year, with quite a few deaths. How has it persisted over the years? We don't have a good handle on which rodents are actually maintaining it in the U.S. So we've been going out and collecting plague-infected fleas from prairie dogs for more than 25 years because it's our window into plague activity. Prairie dogs are ground squirrels that live in dense colonies, so they're very conspicuous. If the prairie dogs die off, we go out and collect fleas from their burrows. We take a piece of white flannel, breathe on it to bait it with carbon dioxide, and then put it down the burrows. The fleas will hop on, and then we take them back to our laboratory and freeze them to kill them. Then we can study the Y. pestis DNA directly from those fleas. We're very careful when we do this, and we talk with our physicians here at Northern Arizona University. Every year we review the symptoms and they give us a prescription for antibiotics. Then we do what we call fever watch, where we take our temperature before we go out. The prairie dogs can't be maintaining it because they're just so susceptible—it'll just wipe out a whole colony when it gets in. And so there's other rodents out there maintaining plague, but it's still a bit of a mystery in the western U.S. How has it become less dangerous? There were three great historical plague pandemics, and it's estimated that maybe 250 million people died [total]. But we don't have those large pandemics anymore because we have hygiene, which controls rat populations in cities—and then, most importantly, we have antibiotics.
The Guardian
14-07-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Alice Zaslavsky's buttery brussels sprouts with apple and smoked pork belly
Have you heard of the five monkeys experiment? It's an apocryphal demonstration of how behaviours and beliefs can be adopted and perpetuated, long after the OG reasons for them fade. I'm pretty sure they could've just used humans and brussels sprouts as a metaphor instead. The Guardian's journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. Like most veg of medieval origin, brassicas, of which sprouts are a baby-cabbage-y-version, were grown for hardiness and weather-resistance. As a result, the flavour skewed bitter, and the texture, tough and oftentimes woody. To help break this down, cooks would boil the bejesus out of them, inadvertently tripping the sulfuric (read: farty) compounds activated during digestion. So unholy was the stench that the superstitious cooks cut crosses into the bases of each sprout to ward off any evil spirits hiding between the leaves. Sign up for the fun stuff with our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning While our beliefs around haunted sprouts might've changed, we're still cross-hatching them for no reason, we're still overboiling and underseasoning them, and as a result the way your grandparents felt about brussels sprouts is probably the way your kids still do. These are all behaviours that can and should be actively unlearned, lest we miss out on the bananas up the ladder, so to speak. Brussels sprouts have had a glow-up, and they're ready for a second chance. For one thing, they don't taste the same as Nan and Pop's because they're not the same. About 30 years ago, a Dutch scientist named Hans van Doorn (that's DooRn not DooM) discovered that the flavonoids (flavour compounds) sinigrin and progoitrin were responsible for the bitterness in brussels sprouts, and are also found in mustard seeds and horseradish. Through a concentrated breeding program, Van Doorn was able to prioritise higher-yield, sweeter sprouts that were lower in these compounds. For another thing, we've got a better understanding of how sprouts like to be touched for maximum pleasure. The key is to work fast, either crisping the sprouts in a hot oven or air fryer, or leaving the sprouts raw and 'cooking' them with acid instead of heat. I love burning halved, oiled sprouts in a searing-hot oven for 10-12 minutes, or shredding and rubbing with lemon juice and salt flakes as the base of a slaw. Another way to indemnify yourself against overcooking a sprout is to par-cook and then finish them in the pan, as I do below. If better technique is not enough to get you or your household's eaters over the line, I still have a magic bullet or three up my sleeve. Thanks to science writers like Harold McGee, we now have a clearer understanding of how other ingredients can mitigate bitterness; chiefly, salty things, fatty things and sweet things. Salt helps to smooth out bitterness and render a 'creamier' experience of a bitter vegetable; the fats in oil, butter or schmaltzy/porky things offer a rich foil where the bitterness creates a lovely interplay, and adding sweetness offers even more dimension. I'm deploying all three in the below, which you can serve as a side. It can also stand alone, bulked up with black beluga lentils or green lentils. Kaiserfleisch is German-style smoked pork belly, with a thicker, more decadent cut and structure, earning its title 'royal meat' or 'emperor's meat'. If you can't find kaiserfleisch, any thick-cut bacon or pancetta will hit the spot here. You could even ask your butcher to lop you off a 1cm-thick slice of leg ham. Sign up to Feast Recipes from all our star cooks, seasonal eating ideas and restaurant reviews. Get our best food writing every week after newsletter promotion You could also choose to skip the pork entirely and go for some fried shiitake mushrooms instead. Just wet fry them and add some extra oil to the pan for extra schmaltziness. I've used a combo of green and purple sprouts for extra visual appeal. Sometimes the novelty factor can help to increase willingness to try a new veg, handy when cooking for kids for example. There isn't too much difference between the two – the purples just have anthocyanin (purple pigment) isolated, captured and bred into the varieties, as you might find in purple cabbage, which can deepen the colour and flavour slightly. Serves 4-6 as a side 200g kaiserfleisch, cubed (or 1cm-thick piece of ham, or thick-cut bacon or pancetta) 600g brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered1 tangy apple (I use pink lady but granny smith would also work)5-6 dried juniper berries, crushed50g butter Salt and freshly cracked pepper Pop kaiserfleisch into a cold pan with a splash of water and fry on medium-high heat to help render out the fat and colour the cut sides. Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to the boil, then drop in the quartered sprouts for 2-3 minutes (you'll know they're ready when they're vibrantly green). While you wait, cut the apple into 1cm cubes (skin on) and crush the juniper berries in a mortar and pestle or with the base of an olive oil bottle, then drop them both into the pan with the kaiserfleisch and crank the heat. Sizzling is good! Scoop the boiled sprouts from the pot, give the sieve/strainer a good tap to shake off excess moisture, then dump them into the pan with the kaiserfleisch and apples, drop in the butter and swish about to melt. Keep the pan sizzling for the sprouts to absorb the flavours, then switch off and taste for seasoning, adding salt and freshly cracked pepper as needed. Serve with sausages and mustard. To take it from side to main, add a tin of lentils – rinsed and drained – before you add the butter and swish them about to warm through in the pan, then switch off the heat, and serve with crusty bread.
