Category Small Conflicts
Skirmishes in Tripoli
In the Northern Lebanese city of Tripoli there is what may, in the scale of conflicts ranging from world wars to skirmishes, be considered a relatively small conflict. This conflict however has the obvious connotations of a conflict which increases in size exponentially as you delve deeper into history and look at a greater context. […]
The War of Jenkin’s Ear
In the 18th century the newly formed United Kingdom of Great Britain was in the ascendancy growing rich from the growth of the American colonies and the slave trade. The Spanish empire, in contrast, was already in decline having bankrupted herself on religious wars in Europe which had largely depleted the wealth of her colonies […]
The Republic of Ezo: Japanese Separatism or Expansionism?
Japan’s northernmost island of Hokkaido is different to the rest of Japan in many ways. The first thing that one notices is the amount of space available. The capital city of Sapporo is a place of wide streets and houses of a decent size, rather than the cramped apartments of other major cities in Japan. Hokkaido […]
Fratres Non In Fide
In modern times much has been made of a clash of civilizations between the Muslim East and the Christian West. It has been seen as a religious conflict rather than a political one. This is expressed by the tendency, particularly among right wing extremists, to view these different faiths as being somehow incompatible with each other […]
The Last Cathar
Catharism was a Gnostic sect of Christianity which thrived in southern France until the 13th century. Although essentially Christian the Cathar’s beliefs differed somewhat from the Church. Principally they did not believe in Jesus as the son of God but rather that he was an angel in human form; they believed that those who lead […]
Yazidis, at risk minority in Mesopotamia and their extraordinary culture.
In northern Iraq in what is perhaps the most dangerous region in the world, Mosul, lives the majority of the tribal culture of Yazidis. Amongst the sectarian strife between Sunni and Shiite, political divisions between Baathist and Kurd, the Yazidis maintain their ancient religion and practices. The roots of Yazadinism are mysterious as with all […]
Uncontacted tribes of the Andaman Islands: do we approach?
The field of anthropology has a long held fascination with so called ‘stone age’ modern people and most especially with uncontacted hunter-gatherers. It is believed that hunter-gatherers provide us with a window into our own distant pasts, showing us who we were before the advent of agriculture or use of metals. I’m an archaeologist who […]
Masonic groups out of date in Northern Ireland?
The Royal Black Preceptory is a ‘more religious’ set up to the Orange Order in N. Ireland. When asking for the symbolism of the date, the last Saturday of August, the reply is simple and enigmatic: it’s a religious day. What religious day it is, is uncertain to me and also apparently uncertain to the […]
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