The earliest written literature dates from about 2600 BC (classical Sumerian). The earliest literary author known by name is Enheduanna, dating to ca. the 24th century BC. Certain literary texts are difficult to date, such as the Egyptian Book of the Dead, which was recorded in the Papyrus of Ani around 1240 BC, but other versions of the book probably date from about the 18th century BC. info wiki

Founded in 1977, the Association for Gravestone Studies (AGS) is an international organization dedicated to the study and preservation of gravestones

Baroque art ~~ Dramatic images with exaggerated emotions are the most obvious elements

Segovia located in Spain ,, built in the 8th century

Barcelona Spain

Sagrada in Barcelona-Spain construction is apparently due to be finished in 2020. ~ 100 years after the original architect's death. The original construction began on March 19,1882

Liechtenstein Castle is a castle located near Maria Enzersdorf in Lower Austria bordering Vienna.

The veil of the living and the dead is at its thinnest which begins midnight Oct 31 until Nov 2, This time and occurrence dates back 3000 years. Your friends, Your loved ones are said to be able to visit. Stay mindful ,,,,

A peek inside ~ courtesy photographer Ivo Meeus The St Michael's Church of Louvain Belgium is considered one of the seven wonders of Leuven.built in the period 1650-1671 ,, Tombs There are three gravestones in the church. Rear left in the baptistery is the bones of Leonard Lessius. Rear right is a white marble stone of the sisters Aldegondis and Anna Van Horenbeeck, who raised funds for the construction of the church. Front right is a broken black stone on which many coats of arms adorn the Jonker family Geeraert of Herckenrode and Anne Christine Coursel. info wiki

The Day of the Dead ~~~~ Child's Alter “On October 31, All Hallows Eve, the children make a children's altar to invite the angelitos (spirits of dead children) to come back for a visit. November 1 is All Saints Day, and the adult spirits will come to visit. November 2 is All Souls Day, when families go to the cemetery to decorate the graves and tombs of their relatives. The three-day fiesta filled with marigolds, the flowers of the dead; muertos (the bread of the dead); sugar skulls; cardboard skeletons; tissue paper decorations; fruit and nuts; incense, and other traditional foods and decorations. ” — Frances Ann Day, Latina and Latino Voices in Literature Originally, the Day of the Dead as such was not celebrated in northern Mexico, where it was even unknown until the 20th century; before that the people and the church rejected it in northeastern Mexico because they perceived the day was a result of syncretizing pagan elements with Catholicism. courtesy info wiki

Bodie is a ghost town in the Bodie Hills east of the Sierra Nevada mountain range in Mono County, California, United States . Bodie began as a mining camp of little note following the discovery of gold in 1859 by a group of prospectors, including W. S. Bodey. Bodey perished in a blizzard the following November while making a supply trip to Monoville (near present-day Mono City, California), never getting to see the rise of the town that was named after him.The U.S. Department of the Interior recognizes it as a National Historic Landmark. info wiki

The Hall Of Mirrors ~~ As the principal and most remarkable feature of King Louis XIV of France's third building campaign of the Palace of Versailles (1678–1684), construction of the Hall of Mirrors began in 1678. In the 17th century, mirrors were among the most expensive items to possess at the time; the Venetian Republic held the monopoly on the manufacture of mirrors. In order to maintain the integrity of his philosophy of mercantilism, which required that all items used in the decoration of Versailles be made in France, Jean-Baptiste Colbert enticed several workers from Venice to make mirrors at the Manufacture royale de glaces de miroirs. According to legend, in order to keep its monopoly, the government of the Venetian Republic sent agents to France to poison the workers whom Colbert had brought to France info wiki , photographer James L Stanfield

Donegal Castle is a castle situated in the centre of Donegal town, County Donegal in the northwest of Ireland. Originating from a Viking fortress in1159,The elder Sir Hugh O’Donnell, wealthy chief of the O’Donnell clan, built the castle in 1474. For most of the last two centuries, the majority of the buildings lay in ruins but the castle was almost fully restored in the late 1990s , info wiki , photo by andrew mcmillan

The Immortal Bridge (Chinese: 仙人桥;pinyin: Xiānrén Qiáo), a natural landscape. Located in Mount Tai which is one of the "Five Great Mountains". It is associated with sunrise, birth, and renewal, and is often regarded the foremost of the five. Mount Tai has been a place of worship for at least 3,000 years and served as one of the most important ceremonial centers of China during large portions of this period. It is a mountain of historical and cultural significance located north of the city of Tai'an, in Shandongprovince, China. The tallest peak is the Jade Emperor Peak (simplified Chinese: 玉皇顶; traditional Chinese: 玉皇頂; pinyin: Yùhuáng Dǐng), which is commonly reported as 1,545 metres (5,069 ft) tall, but is described by the PRC government as 1,532.7 metres (5,029 ft). info wiki , photo Original By User:Pfctdayelise , edit by User:Capital photographer -

Lancaster Castle is a medieval castle in Lancaster in the English county of Lancashire.United Kingdom. Historical events dating back to 79 AD where there was a Roman fort built at Lancaster on a hill commanding a crossing over the River Lune. It is generally thought that Lancaster Castle was founded in the 1090s on the site of the Roman fort in a strategic location. The castle is the oldest standing building in Lancaster and one of the most important. The history of the structure is uncertain yet the events throughout its history is remarkable , from invasions, anarchy, civil wars , the known hangings and the gaol , yet, in the 18th century more people died from gaol fever than by hanging the castle remained a working prison until the spring of 2011. This was the place that held the notorious Pendle witches in 1612 . Of the eleven who went to trial – nine women and two men – ten were found guilty and executed by hanging; one was found not guilty. The ten other Pendle witches found guilty within the walls of Lancaster castle were hanged high on the moors nearby as a vast public affair. After 1800, the site of execution in Lancaster moved to the castle itself and people were hung publicly from the wall of the drop room to crowds sometimes exceeding 5,000. Public hanging remained in force until 1865, after which the death sentence was carried out within the hanging yard of the castle which still remains. info wiki and lancaster castle

Paderborn is a city in eastern North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, capital of the Paderborn district. The name of the city derives from the river Pader and 'born', an old German term for the source of a river. info wiki photographer Maciej Kozieł

18th century Ritual Box The surfaces of this silver and gilt box are richly embellished with symbols and mantras associated with the destruction of malevolent spirits. On the front is a symbolic representation of the protective female deity Lhamo. The precise function of the box within a ritual context is unknown, but it may have served as a storage container for other esoteric objects used within a tantric ritual. The inclusion of skulls as border motifs and the manacled creatures at either end are suggestive of both protection of the contents and the use of the box in purifying rites or exorcisms. The inscriptions include spells using Sanskrit words and Tibetan curses, such as, "May its voice sink in darkness and dissolve." Part of the ritual seems to have involved capturing the spirit, and part, subduing it. There may also be references to yogic activities, such as controlled-breathing exercises. The complexity of the decoration is indicative of a date in the 18th century, making this a relatively late example of the Tibetan tantric tradition. courtesy wiki

Ferndale Cemetery- Michigan ,, Native Americans were early inhabitants in the 1800s of the area now known as the City of Ferndale. Stories have been told of those that still roam through the trees in this cemetery ,,

Wesley house an 1895 mansion. Located in Eden Gardens State Park at 181 Eden Gardens Road, Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459 , info/pic wiki

Moosham Castle is a castle in the state of Salzburg, Austria. Moosham Castle is situated at an height of 1079 meters. Better known as the Witches Castle ,,, This castle’s name leaves little mystery as to why it’s famous. Formerly known as Moosham Castle, it dates back to 1191 and was the site of thousands of witch sentencings. It isn’t known exactly how many women were tried and executed for witchcraft on these grounds, One woman in particular is said to taunt anyone who tries to visit the castle.Witches aren’t the only beings thought to haunt the grounds. Some think that the number of dead deer and cattle found near the castle in the 1800s means that there must have been werewolves taking refuge somewhere nearby. info/pic courtesy wiki and also rail europe blog

Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site, located in Hyde Park, New York, is one of America's premier examples of the country palaces built by wealthy industrialists during the Gilded Age. The earliest development of the estate began in 1764 when Dr. John Bard purchased land on the east side of the Albany Post Road, where he built Red House and developed the agricultural aspects of the eastern section of the property that continued through Frederick Vanderbilt's occupancy. Frederick W. and Louise Vanderbilt purchased Hyde Park in May 1895 from Langdon's heirs, info wiki

Peleș Castle is a Neo-Renaissance castle in the Carpathian Mountains, near Sinaia, in Prahova County, Romania, on an existing medieval route linking Transylvania and Wallachia, built between 1873 and 1914. Its inauguration was held in 1883. It was constructed by Charles I. info wiki , photo by Adrian Covic

Adams Grove Presbyterian Church is a historic Greek Revival-style church building in rural Dallas County, Alabama, near the community of Sardis. Built in 1853, it features a distyle-in-antis type portico with box columns. No longer actively used by a church congregation, the building is now privately owned. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 5, 1986. Due to purported paranormal activity at Adams Grove, the church building and adjacent cemetery have been investigated by several ghost hunting groups. The American Ghost Hunter group from Santa Monica, California visited the site in July 2008. The Southern Paranormal Researchers, based out of Montgomery, subsequently conducted a search in June 2009.

Cabra Castle, Co. Cavan, Ireland. Dating from 1808, Cabra Castle was originally called Cormey Castle, but was renamed by Col. Joseph Pratt in 1812. The original Cormey Castle dated back to the 18th century. It has had a chequered history, becoming a hotel in 1964, then a private residence and finally back to use as a hotel in 1991.There's a hanging tree, a horse and carriage apparition (and sound!), a crying baby ghost and arguing spirits. It had the honour of being named, in 2010, as the second most haunted hotel in the world by influential travel site Trip advisor. Many guests have experiences of noises, apparitions, rattling doors and the feeling of being watched, but nothing too terrifying has been reported...yet. info courtesy Tina Macks

This is a staircase inside Cabra Castle Hotel ,Ireland 1699 -The Castle , and the land surrounding it, is believed to have belonged to the O'Reilly Family until it was confiscated in the mid 17th century by Cromwell's orders and given to Colonel Thomas Cooch, grandson to Sir Thomas Cooch K.C. who had migrated to Donegal in the 17th century having been granted 1,000 acres by James I. In 1964, a local family - the Brennan Family, bought Cabra Castle. They renovated the building and converted it into a 22 bedroom hotel. info cabracastle.com/history image by bruceandjennas-rvadventures

Freakin* AWESOME ! Every year for a few weeks - In the month of February the Sun's angle is such that it lights up . Horsetail falls in Yosemite as if it were on fire. Yosemite National Park. U. S. A. courtesy Helio De Souza

Venice Italy ~ well known for the Architecture and its important role in the history of symphonic and operatic music, Venice has been known as the "La Dominante", "Serenissima", "Queen of the Adriatic", "City of Water", "City of Masks", "City of Bridges", "The Floating City", and "City of Canals". Historians agree the origins of Venice to have taken place at the stroke of noon on 25 March 421. Yet, also well known for its many Haunted locations as San Marco Square , Poveglia Island , the surrounding islands and lagoons, Mare del Lido, Palazzo Ducale just to name a few ,,,,

Notre-Dame de Reims , France ,, much , much activity with in these walls --This is a ceiling shot ,, but underneath the floors of this spot are the architects --- Unusually --the names of the cathedral's original architects are known. A labyrinth built into floor of the nave at the time of construction or shortly after (similar to examples at Chartres and Amiens) included the names of four master masons (Jean d'Orbais, Jean-Le-Loup, Gaucher de Reims and Bernard de Soissons) and the number of years they worked there, -- The labyrinth itself was destroyed in 1779 but its details and inscriptions are known from 18th century drawings info wiki , photographer is Vincent Zénon Rigaud

Notre-Dame de Reims , France Intriguing in its beauty ,, the ghosts are everywhere,, rich historical past ! Known also for - Gothic Ecclesiastical Architecture - science of numbers pertaining to - the number 7 ,, photographer is Vincent Zénon Rigaud

Notre-Dame de Reims ,, much haunted activity encompasses this beautiful, mystifying place in France , from the Gothic architecture and art , expression filled statues , to the gargoyles and the Labyrinths This bishop was beheaded by the vandals in 496... Symbolic heart head alignment..info wiki - photgrapher is Vincent Zénon Rigaud

Enchanted River is found in Barangay Talisay, Hinatuan,in the Philippines Surigao del Sur. It is called "enchanted" because no one has ever reached its bottom. The river's unusual colors and unexplored depths has inspired various local legends. One story tell of fairies that added the colors of sapphire and jade to the river to make its unique shade. Local fisherfolk also report seeing fish in the river that cannot be caught through any means. According to locals, the river was called the Enchanted River because of the engkantos that dwell there. Their legends also say that the river is haunted by supernatural beings which act as its protectors info/ pic wiki

This tree is 65 ft in diameter located in Savannah GA ,, photo by Lori Witt Steel

Volterra known to the ancient Etruscans as Velathri, to the Romans as Volaterrae, is a town and comune in the Tuscany region of Italy The town was a Neolithic settlement and an important Etruscan center (Velathri or Felathri in Etruscan, Velàthre, Βελάθρη in Greek) with an original civilization. The site is believed to have been continuously inhabited as a city since at least the end of the 8th century BC. It became a municipium in the Roman Age. The city was a bishop's residence in the 5th century, and its episcopal power was affirmed during the 12th century. With the decline of the episcopate, Volterra became a place of interest of the Florentines, whose forces conquered Volterra. Florentine rule was not always popular, and opposition occasionally broke into rebellion. These rebellions were put down by Florence. info wiki courtesy Tuscan Muse

Fingal's Cave is a sea cave on the uninhabited island of Staffa, in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland, known for its natural acoustics. The National Trust for Scotland owns the cave as part of a National Nature Reserve. info wiki photo courtesy urbantimes

~ Awesome Dragon Door Pull ~ This door pull is completely hand forged and fabricated. No casting was used to create this piece. The body and horns have a hand chased groove and are twisted ,,, by Richard E. Clark III Blacksmithing

Caves of Nerja in the Province of Málaga,Spain ,,, photo by Ximo Serra ,, Approximately 5 million years ago, during the Upper Miocene, water penetrated the fissures of the marble rock and dissolved it, forming a huge subterranean cavern. Seismic movement and landslides during the Holocene forced the water to find new pathways through the cave system and began the formation of the giant stalactites and stalagmites that can be seen in the cave. Skeletal remains found in the caverns indicate that they were inhabited from about 25,000 BC up until the Bronze Age. Cave paintings from the Paleolithic and post-Paleolithic eras have been discovered on the walls of the cave. For about 4,000 years from 25,000 BC the caves were used seasonally by a small group of humans, and were occupied by cave hyena during the periods that the humans were absent. By 21,000 BC the human population had taken up year-round residence in the caves and had increased in number. A culture based on hunting in the local area had evolved, illustrated by first cave paintings found in the cave which date to around the time. Pine nuts and snails were also important elements of the diet. Up until around 10,800 BC the hunting culture continued to develop with more prey species being taken, including goats, rabbits, fish and marine mammals. A wide variety of animal bones, shells and fish bones from this time have been found in the cave, including the remains of a number of off shore species, along with stone and bone tools. By 4500 BC domesticated animals were being kept and the area around the cave was being used for farming and the production of pottery. By 3800 BC textiles and more advanced styles of pottery were being produced and parts of the cave were being used as a burial chamber. info wiki

Südfriedhof (German: South Cemetery) is, with an area of 82 hectares, the largest cemetery in Leipzig. Germany, info wiki , the onondaga and Ancient photos and images

Granada Cathedral, or the Cathedral of the *Incarnation* located in Granada, Spain construction began in 1526 ,, It took 181 years for the cathedral to be built. info wiki *Incarnation* -> literally means embodied in flesh or taking on flesh. It refers to the conception and birth of a sentient creature who is the material manifestation of an entity, god or force whose original nature is immaterial. In its religious context the word is used to mean the descent from Heaven of a god, or divine being in human/animal form on Earth. info wiki

The martial eagle is a large eagle found in open and semi-open habitats of sub-Saharan Africa. It is the only member of the genus Polemaetus. info wiki ,,,They are the largest of the African eagles and incredibly powerful, capable of knocking an adult man off his feet. They reputedly have enough power in one foot to break a man's arm. The largest eagle in Africa, the Martial eagle weighs in at almost 14 pounds (6.5 Kg.) and has a wingspan of about 6 feet 4 inches. It is 32 inches long ,,, info Kruger National Park , Siyobona Africa

Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) ~ Holiday Day of the Dead is a Mexican holiday celebrated throughout Mexico, in particular the Central and South regions, and acknowledged around the world in other cultures. info Wiki Begins - October 31 Ends - November 2 ps on this pic, thier clothes are all made from plastic plates, spoons, bags , etc

I would love to learn how to weld and manipulate metal this way,, Awesome ! ~~ courtesy Engineering Network ~~ Old hubcaps transformed into a wolf sculpture. Sculptor is Ptolemy Erling at hubcapcreatures

Nottingham Castle / Mortimer's Hole ~ is a castle in Nottingham, England with some rich History. Shortly before his 18th birthday, King Edward III, with the help of a few trusted companions, led by Sir William Montagu, staged a coup d'état at Nottingham Castle (19 October 1330) against his mother Isabella of France, and her lover, Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March. Both were acting as Regents during Edward's minority following their murder of his father Edward II at Berkeley Castle. William Montigu and his companions, were accompanied by William Eland, castellan and overseer of Mortimer's castle, who knew the location of a secret tunnel which would take them up to a locked door higher up in the castle to a normally locked door. In the dark of night on 19 October 1330, Montagu and his companions entered the tunnel, climbed up to the door, which had now been unlocked either by Edward III or a trusted servant, overpowered Mortimer, killing Mortimer's personal guards. Mortimer was bound and gagged, led out of the tunnel and arrested, along with Queen Mother Isabella. Mortimer was sent to the Tower of London, and hanged a month later. Isabella of France was forced into retirement atCastle Rising Castle. With this dramatic event, the personal reign of Edward began. info wiki

The Pied Piper of Hamelin is the subject of a legend concerning the disappearance or death of a great number of kids from the town of Hamelin, Lower Saxony, Germany, in the Middle Ages. info wiki ~~ photo shared from The Magdalene

Church bells are sometimes rung slowly (tolled) when a person dies or at funeral services. The bell is tolled during funerals. Church bells are rung in three basic ways: normal (peal) ringing, chiming, or tolling. info wiki

Myakka River State Park is a Florida State Park and is named after the Myakka River , east of I-75 in Sarasota in Sarasota County and that includes portions of southeastern Manatee County. A small portion (1,920 acres) of the park was the gift of the family of Bertha Palmer to the state. Legends claim it is home to the *skunk ape * more than a dozen skunk ape sightings between the 1960s and 1980s, prompting a state legislator to sponsor a bill to protect the animal.Even the esteemed magazine Smithsonian had been drawn in: Last spring it sent a reporter to Florida to investigate the legend. info wiki & Shelby Webb , Herald-Tribune

Entrance gate to Angkor Thom ,,located in present day Cambodia, was the last and most enduring capital city of the Khmer empire. It was established in the late twelfth century by King Jayavarman VII. info wiki

gotta give it to the photographer Dave L, I find this to be a mystical & magical pic ,, Dave L said it is " note 4 plus snapseed....."

Grossmünster church crypt in Zurich Switzerland with Charlemagne (Charles the Great) statue. The core of the present building near the banks of the Limmat River was constructed on the site of a Carolingian church, which was, according to legend, originally commissioned by Charlemagne (Charles the Great). Construction of the present structure commenced around 1100 and it was inaugurated around 1220. info wiki

The eerie Capuchin Catacombs of Palermo were constructed after the death of Silvestro of Gubbio, a famous 16th century monk. Four long limestone corridors underneath the Capuchin Church hold about 8,000 mummies, lying in repose or hung from hooks by their necks and feet and wearing their best clothes. The Capuchin Catacombs of Palermo are burial catacombs in Palermo, Sicily, southern Italy. Today they provide a somewhat macabre tourist attraction as well as an extraordinary historical record. ~info Wiki ~

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Always interested in the different locations people explore, this one is neat !