Questions tagged [literature]
Questions related to a group of works of art made up of words, classified as either poetry or prose, being either fiction or non-fiction, usually written but can also include oral traditions.
102
questions
1
vote
1
answer
149
views
Is there ancient Egyptian literature surviving today? [closed]
In short: is there anything like the Gilgamesh epic surviving from Ancient Egypt? Similarly old and similarly secular?
The Wikipedia article talks at length about who would write and what they were ...
- 121
2
votes
1
answer
205
views
Who claimed Alexander had a hairy heart?
From Avellaneda's Continuation of Don Quixote, chapter 6, p. 34 (circa 1614, translated by Yardley 1784 apparently after the French of Le Sage 1705 but it all seems very confusing). Don Quixote says:
...
- 2,285
-1
votes
1
answer
153
views
Where, other than Voltaire, are there other references to "cat's eyes" in 18th century Europe?
Reading Voltaire’s A Philosophical Dictionary, in the article on character, I found this:
“If I have a wry nose and cat's eyes I can hide them behind a mask, and can I do more with the character that ...
- 131
12
votes
3
answers
6k
views
What is the earliest reference to playing chess with Death?
Playing chess with death is a relatively common trope. The earliest mention of this trope that I was able to easily find is the Death playing chess painting from 1480. Beyond that search results get ...
- 431
6
votes
0
answers
253
views
Did Maupassant write to his mother about his attraction to women?
The book How the Brain Lost its Mind quotes a letter from Guy de Maupassant, adressed to his mother, in which he explains his inability to resist his attraction to women.
I am obsessed by women. I ...
- 423
8
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Why didn't a noble family change their last name from a kind of duck to something more prestigious?
Several days ago, I got curious about the last name of Nikolai Gogol. It just seemed not Slavic to me to be the last name of a Russian/Ukrainian author.
I searched for his father on Wikipedia:
He was ...
user40948
1
vote
1
answer
147
views
What is the difference between OBV & SBV, in Babylonian texts translated to English?
What is the difference between OBV (Old Babylonian Version) and SBV (Standard Babylonian Version), in Babylonian texts translated to English ?
Is SVB a standardized translation or standardized form of ...
- 121
2
votes
1
answer
434
views
Why are Arabian Nights set mostly in Persia?
I liked the tales of Arabian Nights from childhood and re-read them many times through my life. What strikes me as odd, is that all the main characters are predominantly Persian. Moreover Arabs (e.g. ...
- 339
3
votes
1
answer
507
views
When did Albertus Magnus write 'On Animals'?
When is it most likely that Albertus Magnus finished writing On Animals ?
I can't seem to find any guesses more accurate than "within his lifetime"
- 133
6
votes
1
answer
386
views
Was there really a whale skeleton in Jaffa?
Was there really a whale skeleton in Jaffa or at least a common myth about it?
I cannot find any historical reference to it but still believe, from the way he wrote Moby Dick, that Melville did not ...
- 163
1
vote
2
answers
256
views
What is the name of this author?
I'm a newbie here so please forgive me if this kind of questions are not allowed.
Couple days ago my friend wanted me to find an author and gave me some hints about it. I did lots of researches but ...
- 31
-1
votes
1
answer
426
views
Has Sun Tzu ever advocated for something that in modern society is a war crime, or what has Sun Tzu ever said about war crimes? [closed]
I've read The Art of War 3x, but I didn't yet know the concept of 'war crime'. So I never really paid much attention to the text in that regard.
Question: Has Sun Tzu ever advocated for something that ...
- 185
11
votes
2
answers
3k
views
Did Lucian of Samosata make this joke on purpose?
This is going to be a bit of a niche question, so bear with me.
Recently I've been reading the work of famous satirist Lucian of Samosata. He's pretty funny, but the thing is, I can't read the ...
- 211
15
votes
4
answers
3k
views
Why can't the gospel of Mark be as late as 110 CE?
The gospel of Mark is conventionally dated to somewhere very close to the Roman-Jewish War (Telford, 1999, p. 12ff). There are clear references to the 70 CE destruction of the Second Temple in Mark 11:...
- 151
-1
votes
2
answers
463
views
Does the ending of "Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage" by Alfred Lansing sound reasonable?
The news about scientists have found Endurance prompts me to ask this question otherwise I have always seen it as some minor details that few people will have an interest in.
I think it is safe to say ...
- 791