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art

Nativity Scenes Celebrate Diverse Christmas Culture Around the World

Featuring devils, yurts, and Yule Lads, traditional crèche sets can tell unique stories about their communities.
Kayla Harris and Neomi De Anda December 4, 2023
In western Bolivia and southeastern Peru, angels are armed and ready—like the one shown in this 17th-century painting, <em>Asiel Timor Dei</em>.
paintings

Decoding the Gun-Wielding Angels of Bolivia

The 'angeles arcabuceros' morphed from Catholic messengers to symbols of Indigenous independence.
Amy Crawford November 30, 2023
A small church set in the woods behind a tree
Cross Plains, Wisconsin

St. Mary of the Oaks Shrine

A tiny 1857 chapel sits on top of a secluded, forested hill.
Antonito, Colorado

El Santuario de los Pobladores

Colorado's oldest church is now home to the largest handmade adobe labyrinth in the world.
Penn Yan, New York

Public Universal Friend Exhibit

This non-binary preacher formed a religious movement in the region of New York later known as the “Burned-Over District.”
Bridlington, England

Priory Church of St. Mary

One of the oldest Augustinian houses, this church is reminiscent of the rich history of England.
Gaze into the fiery abyss at the real-life Gates of Hell, Turkmenistan.
caves

13 Places That Are Hell on Earth

Gaze into the abyss at these terrifying portals to the netherworld.
Atlas Obscura November 9, 2023
Glasgow, Scotland

Glasgow Cathedral Graffiti

An 18th-century religious argument etched into stone.
Lyons, Kansas

Father Padilla Cross

This rural roadside cross marks the farthest point of Coronado's expedition, and the place where the Catholic faith first came to America.
relics

Podcast: The Immovable Ladder

The fight over an object in Israel no one is allowed to touch.
The Podcast Team November 6, 2023
A church altar of sculpted amber saints that seems to float at the front of the church
Gdańsk, Poland

St. Bridget's Church

One of the world's largest amber altarpieces is housed within this reconstructed medieval church.
By the New Kingdom (1550-1069 BC), both royals and non-royals were buried with dozens of figurines known as shabti, which would serve them in the afterlife.
ancient

In Ancient Egypt, Human Sacrifice and Shabti Figures Ensured an Afterlife of Servitude

Clay figurines and murdered retainers provided plenty of company—and a workforce—for the dead.
Nicky Nielsen October 17, 2023
automata

Podcast: Robot Saints

What can medieval automata teach us about the age of AI?
The Podcast Team October 17, 2023
Edinburgh, Scotland

'The Cutty Stool'

A bronze statue of a low three-legged seat commemorates a piece of furniture that started a riot.
The 2012 film <em>The Possession</em>, starring Natasha Calis, was based on the legend of the "Dybbuk Box."
horror

The Modern Resurrection of the Dybbuk, Demon of Jewish Folklore

How a superstition goes from the Talmud to TikTok.
Anya Gruber October 10, 2023
Elaborately inscribed false doors in tombs of the elite allowed family and friends to leave offerings that ensured the dead would want for nothing in the afterlife.
ancient

In Ancient Egypt, Soul Houses and False Doors Connected the Living and the Dead

Rich or poor, you could reach out to friends and family in the afterlife—and communication went both ways.
Nicky Nielsen October 10, 2023
Bergamo, Italy

Ex-Chiesa di San Michele all’Arco

Angels and demons watch over newspapers in this deconsecrated church.
The small interior of a chapel with a small mosaic floor arched roof and two coffins.
Carrick-On-Shannon, Ireland

Costello Memorial Chapel

The smallest chapel in Europe is a moving testament to the love between a husband and wife.