Cool Historical Pictures

[Montegriffo]

[BjornP]

Photographed in 1933.

A "Sankt Hans Cow", Sankt Hans = Saint John (the Baptist). Depicts a now extinct tradition from the North Jutland region of Vendsyssel of decking ones livestock in flower garlands on Saint John's Eve, in order to ward off witches. Similar traditions also existed in France, Germany and Netherlands.
The cows would be raced by the community's younger boys, yet with the goal of neither coming last nor first. The garlands around the cow's head could be put on the roof of the farm to ward off disease and, again, witches riding into the barn to ride the cows.



Kaj Munk, priest, playwright and poet executed by the Germans during the Nazi occupation. He started out admiring Hitler, and remained to his death in favor of a grand "Nordic Dictatorship" state, yet he turned on both Hitler and Mussolini after the Nazi persecution of Jews and the Italian invasion of Christian Ethiopia. He wrote several plays and articles mocking Hitler, and he would eventually be executed for having publically encouraged Danes resist the occupation. He's also a relative of mine, my grandfather's cousin.

[BjornP]

While most of Denmark had been liberated by the British, the Soviets bombed the German positions there, then occupied the island of Bornholm located just south-east of the Southern tip of Sweden. 8000 Soviet troops occupied the island for a little less than a year, until the Danish government promised capping the size of the garrison on Bornholm. Led to hundreds of cases of rape and looting by Soviet troops, but those reports had been censored even after the Soviets left, to avoid antagonizing the Soviets. Wasn't untill 2012 that the cases became known to the public.

[Montegriffo]

Oops.

[Montegriffo]

Mary the circus elephant, hung by the people of Kingsport Tennesee in front of a crowd of 2500 for trampling her trainer to death.
The chain broke and she broke her hip, a heavier gauge chain was needed to complete the execution.

[TheReal_ND]

Napoleon Bonaparte displaying his Masonic cred. The Scottish Rite's were super big in France amongst the intellectuals and that's where most of the weird ranks and stuff are found. Quite different from ordinary Blue Lodges.

[de officiis]

Tegel fallbeil from the town of Katowice, nicknamed "the Red Widow". (Photo by Adam Cyra). It was used to execute over 550 people accused of resistance against the Nazi occupation between 1941 and 1945.

[de officiis]

[de officiis]

[de officiis]