Valariesblog

  A child born with natural dreadlocks is called "Dàda" in Yorùbá Language. Dàda are children born with naturally matted or dreadlocks that must never be shaved off and their hair is difficult to comb. They are believed to be special and have unique and spiritual capabilities like the gift of healing, extreme intelligence, and physical strength. It is believed that their strength and overall good health are tied to their hair and it must therefore not be tempered with. It is also believed that they are the bringers of wealth, which is symbolized by cowrie shells. Apart from their mothers, no other person must touch the hair of these children. Shaving a Dàda's hair must be accompanied by a special ritual. After the ritual is performed, the hair is collected into a pot of water containing special herbs and kept by the parents of the child. Most of them have their hair shaved off before puberty or adulthood. The trend is now changing as with the advent of moderni...

  GREAT ZIMBABWE Great Zimbabwe, located in present-day Zimbabwe, is a sprawling archaeological site that was once the capital of a powerful kingdom in southern Africa. Flourishing between the 11th and 15th centuries, Great Zimbabwe was one of the most significant trading centers in the region. At its height, Great Zimbabwe was a bustling city with impressive stone structures, including massive stone walls, towers, and enclosures. The most iconic feature of Great Zimbabwe is the Great Enclosure, a massive stone structure with walls towering up to 36 feet high. The craftsmanship of these structures, built without mortar, is a testament to the engineering skills of the people who inhabited the area. Great Zimbabwe's wealth and influence were built on trade, particularly in gold, ivory, and other commodities. The kingdom's strategic location along trade routes linking the interior of Africa with the Indian Ocean allowed it to thrive as a center of commerce and cultural exchange. D...

ATLANTIS In the dialogues "Timaeus" and "Critias," the ancient Greek philosopher Plato introduced the story of Atlantis, a fabled island civilization that met a cataclysmic end. According to Plato's account, Atlantis was a powerful and advanced civilization located beyond the "Pillars of Hercules," commonly identified as the Strait of Gibraltar. Plato describes Atlantis as a prosperous and technologically advanced society, ruled by benevolent kings descended from the god Poseidon. The island was said to be rich in resources, boasting fertile lands, abundant wildlife, and a sophisticated network of canals and irrigation systems. However, as Atlantis grew in power and prosperity, its citizens became increasingly corrupt and decadent. According to Plato, the Atlanteans became arrogant and aggressive, seeking to expand their empire through conquest. Their hubris ultimately led to their downfall. In Plato's narrative, Atlantis launches a failed invasion...

  1.      In the 1800s, doctors recommended smoking as a cure for asthma.  2.       Adolf Hitler helped design the Volkswagen beetle; The car was designed as part of a Hitler Revived German Initiative to create an affordable and practical car that everyone could own. 3.       During WW2, the Russian military trained dogs to run suicide missions with mines strapped on their backs. 4.       In 1958, An American pilot flying a B-47 plane that was carrying an atomic bomb, accidentally dropped the bomb onto South Carolina. Luckily, it didn't explode. (The bomb was bigger than the one dropped in Nagasaki). 5.       In 1881, the South African Railway officially employed a baboon. The baboon was paid 20 cents a day and half bottle of beer each week. In his 9 years of employment he never made a mistake. 6.          Albert Einstein was off...

  EARLY LIFE Genghis Khan, whose birth name was Temujin was born in the year 1162 in Khentii mountains (Present day between Mongolia and Siberia). His father, Yesugei had kidnapped his mother, Hoelun and forced her into marriage. At that time, dozens of nomadic tribes on the central Asian steppe were constantly fighting and stealing from each other, and life for Temujin was violent and unpredictable. Before he turned 10, his father was poisoned to death by an enemy clan. Temujin’s own clan then deserted him, his mother and his six siblings in order to avoid having to feed them. Shortly thereafter, Temujin killed his older half-brother and took over as head of the poverty-stricken household. At one point, he was captured and enslaved by the clan that had abandoned him, but he was eventually able to escape. In 1178 Temujin married Borte, with whom he would have four sons and an unknown number of daughters. He launched a daring rescue of Borte after she too was kidnapped, and he s...

  In 1902, under Caliph Abderrahman Dan Abi Bakar, the British led by Lord Frederick Lugard took advantage of the disagreement between Emirs in the south of the Caliphate. The Emirs were pitted against themselves and this prevented them from having any defense against the British troops. The last Caliph, Attahiru 1, came to the throne after the death of Abderrahman Dan Abi Bakar on the 13th of October, 1902. Due to the disagreement in the south of the Caliphate, the British were able to take over parts of the Caliphate and were now ready to launch a full scale attack on the capital (Sokoto). On seeing this, Attahiru 1 put together a quick defence and was ready to fight off the British, but unfortunately, the British who had superior fire power prevailed. Upon the defeat, Attahiru I and many of his followers fled the capital (Sokoto) on what Attahiru I described as "hijra" to await "Mahdi". On March 13th 1903, the Caliphate conceded to the British. Lord Lugard abol...

  Uthman Dan Fodio, also called Usman Dan Fodio was born on the 15th of December, 1754 in Gobir. His father, Mohammad Fodiye was a scholar from Toronkawa Clan, which had emigrated from Futa-toro in Senegal. His mother, Hauwa Mohammad was believed to be from the bloodline of the holy prophet Muhammad, because she was a direct descendant of the first king of Morocco Maulay Idris 1. Although he was born in Gobir, he settled in Degel, where he expanded his Islamic knowledge together with his father. Dan Fodio's teaching went far, by 1774, he was already a scholar as he had amassed thousands of followers through over a hundred publications including poems and books. He noticed that the rulers of his hometown Gobir, were not practicing pure Islam, as they broke Sharia laws and mixed Islam with pagan practices. Dan Fodio stood vehemently against it and openly criticized the rulers through his teachings. The King of Gobir, Yunfa was Dan Fodio's former student who Dan Fodio helped to...

  EARLY LIFE He was born in the forest village of Gryn in the Kaluga region of the Soviet Union. The details surrounding his birth were not preserved. In 1942, German soldiers launched an attack on Gryn killing both fighters and civilians. Sergei's 10 year old brother, Petya was hanged while his mother was shot. He escaped through a window with the help of a neighbour. He became a young boy lost in the forest all alone, he survived on wild fruits and rain water. There was incident when he encountered German soldiers and his only refuge was a tree that had snakes on it, but he preferred the tree. In August of that year, he was found by a reconnaissance group of the 142nd Guards Rifle Regiment. The red army decided to keep him and they brought him to the staff dogout. Because of his age, he was made a pupil of the 142nd Guards Infantry Regiment and the 47th Guards Rifle Division. The Major Mikhail Vorobyov grew fond of him and decided to adopt him. He was a messenger and during comba...

  In the summer of 1518, a strange phenomenon swept through the streets of Strasbourg, France. It all began in July, when a woman, Frau Troffea stepped on to the street and started dancing in an erratic and uncontrollable manner, but the marvel was that she could not stop for days. Strangely up to 400 people joined her. Some danced and collapsed from exhaustion and some danced to death. Historical documents, including physician notes, cathedral sermons, local and regional chronicles and even notes from the Strasbourg city council clearly recorded that there was indeed a dance pandemic and it started from one woman dancing ( Frau Troffea) . It lasted for so long that it attracted the highest authorities, until the council gave up all authority to the physicians who simply recommended that the afflicted " Dance themselves free of it". There are claims that guild halls were refurbished to to accommodate the dancing and strong men were employed to watch the dancers. At the hei...

MEHMED II Mehmed III was born on the 30th of march, 1432 in the capital city of the Ottoman empire. His father was Sultan Murad II (1404-1451). His father abdicated the throne to him between July 1444 and August 1444 when he was just 12 years old. The people and leaders of Constantinople celebrated his ascension to the throne, they believed a 19 year old Sultan will lead the Ottomans astray. OTTOMAN PREPARATIONS By early 1452, Mehmed II started the construction of a second fortress ( Rumeli Hisari) on the European side of the Bosporus. This fortress stood directly across the strait from the fortress built by his grandfather Bayezid I (Anadolu Hisari). This pair of fortresses ensured complete Ottoman control of the sea traffic at the Bosporus. In October, Mehmed II ordered Turakhan Beg, a top military commander, to station a large garrison in the Peloponnese to block Thomas and Demetrois, who were relatives of Constantine XI from sending him aid during the siege. He also ordered m...

  Founded by Constantine I, Constantinople was a city built from the ruins of Byzantine, which became the capital of the Christian East. It was a thriving city that flourished initially due to its unique geographical location. It was home to warriors, architecture and emperors. It was the beacon of the Byzantine era and envy to others. For over a thousand years until its glorious fall. BOSPORUS In 657 AD, the King Byzas of Megara founded a settlement in the western side of a water way (Bosporus) which linked the black sea to the sea of Marmara. Because of its significant trade friendly placement, many powers and kingdoms battled for its ownership including Persians, Spartans, Macedonians and Athenians. Around 196 AD, the city was destroyed by Emperor Septimius Severus, but it was subsequently rebuilt with some of the structures that survived to become the BYZANTINE EMPIRE. Now at this time, the Roman empire was divided into two, the East, whose Emperor was Licinius and West, ...