The Inspiration Behind Dracula, Vlad the Impaler

Vlad III, Prince of Wallachia (1431–1476), also known by his patronymic Dracula (son of the Dragon (Vlad II) Dracul), and posthumously dubbed Vlad the Impaler (Romanian: Vlad Țepeș pronounced [ˈvlad ˈt͡sepeʃ]), was a three-time Voivode of Wallachia, ruling mainly from 1456 to 1462, the period of the incipient Ottoman conquest of the Balkans. His father was a member of the Order of the Dragon (Dracul) and Dracula means son of the Dragon to indicate his father's title within the Order of the Dragon.

Vlad III is remembered for spending much of his rule campaigning efforts against the Ottoman Empire and its expansion^[3]and for the impaling of enemies.^[4] Already during his lifetime, his reputation of excessive cruelty spread abroad, toGermany and elsewhere in Europe. The total number of his victims is estimated in the tens of thousands. The name of thevampire Count Dracula in Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula was inspired by Vlad's patronymic.^{[4] (Taken from Wikipedia)}

For a Vlad Tepes PowerPoint click HERE.

Nosferatu (1922), Directed by F.W. Murnau & Starring Max Schreck 

Dracua (1931), Directed by Tod Browning & Starring Bella Lugosi

Bram Stroker's Dracula (1992), Directed by Francis Ford Coppola & Starring Gary Oldman

The History Behind Halloween

Halloween…  All-Hallows-Eve… the night before All Hallows Day… Hallows means saints… Halloween or The Eve of All Saints Day

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:

What we think of as Halloween can be traced back 2,000 years ago in Britain and Ireland.  The Celtic people celebrated a giant festival every November 1^st called Samhain.  This festival celebrated the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter. 

·      It would begin on the evening of the 31^st

·      Bonfires were lit

·      Sacrifices of livestock and crops were made to the gods

·      People dressed in animal skins and furs for the event

·      It was thought that the ghosts of the dead along fairies and goblins visited the earth on this day, so food was left outside homes to satisfy them

During the 1^st century C.E. Rome conquered Britain and two Roman holidays were combined with Samhain. 

1.     Feralia: honored the dead

2.     Pomona: celebrated the goddess of the harvest (Pomona’s symbol was the apple and it is hypothesized that this is where the tradition of bobbing for apples comes from.)

Christianity spread to the British Isles during the 4^th and 5^th centuries C.E. and the Pope insisted on giving all pagan holidays Christian themes. 

*      November 1^st became All Saints Day and celebrated the lives of saints

*      November 2^nd became All Souls Day and celebrated the lives of dead Christians

COSTUMES & JACK-O-LANTERNS

Were both initially used to scare off the ghosts, ghouls, and goblins that traveled the earth on that night.  The costumes would help the living blend in with the supernatural and the jack-o-lanterns would protect homes.

TRICK OR TREATING

Derives from a practice known as souling, whereby poor beggars went door to door during the two Christian holy days (holidays) and promise to pray for the household in exchange for food.

Scottish and Irish immigrants brought these wonderful traditions to America.

Happy Halloween!

Chapter 8 Vocabulary & Terms

prophet

Moses

Noah
a man who people in the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim religion believe was sent  by God to teach them or lead them

clan

a group of related families 

tribe

a social group where people share the same traditions, culture, and leadership

polytheist

a person who believes that there is more than one God

monotheism

the belief in one God

convert

someone who changes beliefs, especially those about religion

boycott

a refusal to do business with an organization or group

siege

an attempt to surround a place, not letting anyone in or out while trying to gain control of that place

People of the Book

a term for non-Muslims (Christians and Jewish) who share the belief in the Torah; the Torah is the holy book for  the Jewish faith,  it is the first half of the Bible (the Christian holy book), and it is considered to be the inspired word of God by Muslims... all three faiths share the same early prophets

 dynasty

province

garrison

Message (1977)

ATTENTION: This is a supplemental video to support what we are learning in class concerning the historical figure Mohammad and the spread of Islamic faith in the 7^th century.  I encourage students to watch it in order to deeper understanding through the benefits of cinematic pictures.  It is a beautifully made film, staring Anthony Quinn, concerning the birth of the Islamic faith and the story of the profit Mohammed.  In accordance with the tenants of Islam, Mohammed is never seen or heard (as this is offensive to certain Islamic school of thought).  

Michael Hart's List of the 100 Most Influential Persons in History

Click here to see this list through Wikipedia.

Click here to see website devoted to his list.

Michael Hart is a historian who wrote a book ranking the 100 most influential people in history.  Hart's book fostered many arguments, and many people disagreed with his list.  Hart ranked Muhammad first because of his influence in various roles: as a politician, military leader, social reformer, and religious leader. 

People often have different opinions about which historical figures have most shaped our world or were most influential.  Take a look at the list and see how many names you recognize. 

For more information on Muhammad go to the "Handouts" tab.  On that page you will find a chapter from the book A Little History of the World written by E.H. Gombrich.

Bedouins

The Bedouins are a desert-dwelling Arabian ethnic group traditionally divided into clans or tribes.  These nomadic peoples (whose name means, 'Owners of Herds') travel in caravans and live in tents.

A Bedouin musical band featured in the Guardian Magazine 

A Bedouin family in Oman

The hostile desert environment lead to a fabulous hospitality towards other desert travelers.

A Bedouin tent

Bedouin food

Bedouin Food

Bedouin Food

Bedouin Clothing

Bedouin Clothing

Bedouin Veils 

Bedouin Veils

For more information, click on the following links...
Geographia.com
Bedawi.com
Encyclopedia.com

Arabia: Birthplace of Islam

Geography of the Middle East from Michael Klingensmith

Geography of the Middle East

Geography of Arabian Peninsula from Kimberly Martin

The Geography of the Arabian Peninsula

the blue and red lines mark trade routes along the Silk Road

     Arabia lies at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe.  In ancient times, great civilizations grew up in the lands around Arabia.  To the northeast, Sumerians built their complex civilization along the valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in present-day Iraq.  To the west, the Egyptians built their society on the banks of the Nile River in North Africa. Later, the Greeks, Romans, and Persians all had a major influence on the Middle East.

The Desert 

Satellite image from NASA of the Saudi Arabian Desert.  The yellow lines enclose the desert area.

About 3/4s of the Arabian Peninsula is covered by desert.  the hot, dry environment is very harsh with summer temperatures above 120 degrees and droughts that can last for years, 

The Oases

The desert is dotted with oases, areas where fresh water is available.  Oasis are important because they provide plant life and shade as well.    

Oases occur in areas where water has been trapped underground.  The water seeps to the surface as a spring or waterhole.

The Coastal Plain

Arabia's Coastal plain runs along the coasts of the peninsula.

The coastal plain ranges between 5 and 40 miles inland.  It ends at a series of rocky cliffs.

The Mountains

Arabia's largest mountain ranges run along the western and southern edges of the peninsula.  They divide the coastal plain from the desert. 

Arabia's mountains rise from 1,000 to 12,000 feet high.  These mountain ranges have a very different climate from the rest of the peninsula.  Most winds from the Indian Ocean bring as much as 20 inches of rain each year.

Chapter 7 Vocabulary and Terms

caravan

a group of people with animals or vehicles who travel together for safety, especially through a desert

plateau

a large area of flat land that is higher than the land around it

nomad

a member of a tribe that travels from place to place instead of living in one place all the time, usually in order to find grass for their animals

nomadic (Bedouin) women

nomadic (Bedouin) woman wear their wealth

sedentary 

a sedentary group of people tend always to live in the same place

 barter 

to exchange goods, work, or services for other goods or services rather than for money

irrigation 

to bring water to a dry place in order to grow crops

women gathered around a water well

 terrace

one of a series of flat areas cut out of a hill like steps, and used to grow crops

This is an example of terrace farming in the Hazar Mountains of the Arabian Peninsula.  This is also an example of a sedentary community.