Fairy - Dragonfly - Gothic - Victorian

The Strange And Magickal Origin Of Fays

When thinking about fairies, we often lean toward the little, tiny female entities with charming laughs and small dragonfly types of wings. But what is a fairy, really?

What does Fay Mean And Where Does It Come From?

The word fay saw the light of day in the early Dark Ages. Its spelling varies from fae, fay, fey, and fairy, which all mean the same. We can also see lesser-known variations such as faerie, fairie, fayrye, and feirie.

However, the spelling faerie, adopted in Middle English, later became the word fairy. The word means “enchanted” or anything related to charm. The word itself, borrowed from Old French faerie, came from the same meaning, “realm of the fays.”

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Witchcraft - Altar - Pagan - Tarot

What Is The History Of Cartomancy, And Is Tarot French?

There are many reasons why someone could get enthusiastic about fortune-telling, but what if the reader is the one who finds an obsession with the process? This little OCD Vampire is intrigued by cartomancy and what it means!

What Is Cartomancy And What Does It Really Do?

Cartomancy refers to the divination method of fortune-telling. When the deck of cards started appearing in Europe in the fourteenth century, the practice of cartomancy appeared as it required a deck of cards to proceed. This type of divination is called cartomancers, card readers or readers.

When cartomancy started, the reading would occur with a deck of regular cards called a French-suited playing card deck. It was the most popular way of reading through cards from the Victorian era to the Belle Époque.

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Knights Templar

The Crusade, Prince John Of England And Robin Hood

We all know the story of Robin Hood and his mortal enemy, the Sheriff of Nottingham. However, what about the ‘Phony King of England,’ Prince John?

Who Is Prince John, And From Which Era?

When we think about Robin Hood, we know Prince John was the antagonist alongside the Sheriff of Nottingham. Prince John is also King Richard’s younger brother, from whom he took the crown while away on the Third Crusade.

While the information is assumed from popular culture from known movies such as Robin Hood: Men In Tights and Walt Disney’s Robin Hood, the information on the character is limited. Prince John’s depiction is also quite different from one movie to the next.

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Beltane - Pagan

Beltane, An Ancient Pagan And Wiccan Practice On The First Of May

The First of May is the Beltane Day for those who practise witchcraft or are Pagans. It is part of the Wheel of the Year. But what is Beltane, and how does one celebrate it?

A Little History

Beltane, also known as Cétshamhain and Lá Bealtaine, is the last of the spring fertility festivals. It is the mark of the end days of spring and the beginning of the summer days to come in June. 

People would douse and relight their household fires from the bonfires of Beltane. Beltane and Samhain divide the year into two primary seasons. Beltane is the summer—Light part, and Samhain is the winter—Dark part, marking the passage into the growing and resting seasons. 

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Glass Slipper

Who Knew Cinderella Was A Princess And A Complex

When writing an article about a child martyr from my home province, a link came up titled Cinderella Complex, which I had never heard of before. I looked into it, and it opened my eyes on me.

My Love For Cinderella Grew Bigger

I never hid who I was or what I had from readers or fellow artists and authors alike. I’m a gothicist and medievalist-enthusiast. I’m a professional artist and author, but with something much darker inside me.

I am a misanthrope, introverted, antisocial and an awkward person. To put it lightly, I have many mental disorders that make me socially handicapped. I have clinical OCD, PTSD, social anxiety disorder, cibophobia, agoraphobia, scopophobia, and body dysmorphia

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Medieval — Plague Doctor

The Black Death History Of The Middle Ages

When the words Black Plague come together, we automatically think of the Middle Ages. Most recently, the term Dark Ages turned inappropriate but remained used, as it has another meaning for us goths, the Bubonic Plague.

The Overall Meaning Of The Black Death

The term Black Death resonates with an outburst of bubonic plague turned into a pandemic. It occurred in Western Euroasia and spread down to North Africa. Its period of spread was between 1346 to 1353.

This era was the most brutal and fatal death-spreading pandemic in human history to this day. Nothing has ever come close to the number of deaths related to a disease. 

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Church

Gilles de Rais Went From Noble Warrior to Serial Killer

Serial killers aren’t always made. Sometimes they are born and asleep until one spark ignites. Gilles de Rais is one of human history’s most horrific figures. His descent to Hell is one of the infamous tales of France.

The Proof That Stereotypes Are Wrong

It’s incredible how some of the most infamous serial killers can also be the ones you never expect. A famous example in recent times is Ted Bundy. Bundy worked alongside Ann Rule at a women’s shelter.

Bundy helped counsel many women. Yet simultaneously, he hid from being a serial killer. He murdered many women in his time. The disturbing part was Ted going home afterwards and acting as a dedicated husband and father.

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The Tudors - Showtime - 2007-2010

We All Know Henry VIII, But What Did The Tudors Series Teach Us?

Henry VIII had six wives, and his reputation for disposing of them is no secret, but when it comes to highlighting the days of his reign, one series comes to mind, The Tudors. Were they accurate?

The Official Summary Of The Tudors Series

The Showtime drama focuses on the early years of King Henry VIII‘s nearly 40-year reign, 1509-1547, of England. The series looks at Henry’s famous female companions like Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn.

And delves into his relationships with important figures like Sir Thomas More, Cardinal Wosely—head of the Catholic Church of England during its break with Rome—and Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, who was Henry’s best friend and unofficial adviser.

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Knightfall

Knightfall Is The Underrated Medieval Series Deserving Of More Seasons

When I finished watching The Last Kingdom, I was looking desperately for something to satisfy my Dark Ages addiction. Knightfall showed up, and quickly I found myself hooked on the last years of the infamous Templars.

The Official Summary

In 1306, the Knights Templar were winding down their run as one of the most powerful organisations in the Christian world. Acre, the Templar’s last stronghold, has fallen, and years later, a rumour is heard that the lost Grail is still in that area.

The Templars, led by the courageous, headstrong, but noble Templar Knight Landry, have shifted their attention to regaining a foothold in the Holy Land. They take their battle back to the Holy Land, and their battles become the Crusades.

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Knights Templar Fan Art

The Knights Templar Downfall At The Hands Of A French King

The Dark Ages weren’t magic. They were unforgiving. It was a time for kingdom divisions and assertions of power for lands. But Kings and Queens weren’t the only sources of power. So were the Church and their most powerful Order, the Knights Templar.

What Do We Know Of The Knights Templar?

I am an ancient history nerd. My favourite era is the Iron Age and the Dark Ages. Because of my passion for history, the Assassin’s Creed video game franchise from Ubisoft became an obsession of mine. Their accuracy and storytelling are compelling, and so are their villains. 

The Assassin’s Creed might not be real in history—or maybe it is, and it’s all part of the conspiracy!—Joking aside, the assassins aren’t real, but the Knights Templar were and still exist to this day. Most of what we know about them comes from conspiracy theorists or fiction. In fact, the most accurate depiction of the Order comes from Assassin’s Creed and the History Channel series, Knightfall.

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Viking Axe

An Evil King In A Most Unforgiving Time

In the Dark Ages, technology and discoveries were stagnant. Yet, to this day, creative minds dive into history to grab a piece of its history. While some things stood still, the battle for kingdoms had begun. Reign of Mad Kings roared over lands, and Æthelred II was one of them.

Dark Ages Fun Fact & Warning

A Dark Ages fun fact: people had no surnames or family names. In fact, they had either sobriquets or a nickname to separate them from others wearing the same first name. For that reason, many last names today carry words that once meant something different.

I should warn you that this article is about Æthelred II, ‘the Unready’ from later in history and not based on the fantastic character from the television series, The Last Kingdom. Those are two different Æthelred II. While native from the same kingdom apart in time.

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Church

The Hellish Killer Who Fought With Joan of Arc

Gilles de Rais or Baron de Rais, was a knight and lord from Brittany, Anjou and Poitou. He was a leader in the French army, and a companion-in-arms of Joan of Arc. So, how is it that his reputation turned to a killer of children?

The True Face Of Evil

Gilles ‘Baron’ de Rais fought alongside Joan of Arc at the Siege of Orléans. This was around La Roche-Bernard in France in September 1438.

de Rais was a young lord who was hailed as a hero. So, understandably any mother would be honored to have their ten-year-old son go live with de Rais and become his page. Unbeknownst to the mother, she would never see her young son again.

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As Above So Below — 2014 Movie — Netflix

As Above So Below Be Careful

“As above, so below, as within, so without, as the universe, so the soul…” — Hermes Trismegistus

As Above So Below Original Summary

As above so below be careful…

Archaeologist Scarlett Marlowe has devoted her whole life to finding one of history’s greatest treasures: Flamel’s Philosopher’s Stone. According to legend, the artifact can grant eternal life and turn any metal into gold.

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Daisy Mortem — DM-ACCIDENT2

Daisy Mortem The Music Band

Gothic Bite Magazine is always proud to share the work from the Indie Community! From all fields, including musical, which we can all agree, is a crucial role in our gothic lives! Today, here is the work of Daisy Mortem!

We proudly present L’accident est inévitable, the latest music video from the rave/goth duo, Daisy Mortem.

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Assassin's Creed Unity by Ubisoft

Ring The Bells of Notre Dame

Today a chapter of history burned in flames. A chapter no one ever thought would end in fire.

The landmark in the renovation, the roof engulfed in fire bringing with it its southern tower. No one knows if it is salvageable, people weep the loss of a part of its history.

This article is not a journalistic piece, and it is not a typical blog post from Gothic Bite Magazine. It is a bit small specter of history mixed with my emotional state at the view of Notre Dame in flames.

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Palais Garnier - Opéra de Paris - France

The Phantom of the Palais Garnier

The novel Le Fantôme de l’Opéra written by the French novelist, Gaston Leroux was first published on January 8th, 1910. But what other secrets does it keep?

Original Musical Summary

However, the story itself was separated in many sections to appear in Le Gaulois from September 23rd, 1909 and saw the final publication in 1910. The inspiration for the Phantom came from the Palais Garnier…

Deformed since birth, a bitter man known only as the Phantom lives in the sewers underneath the Paris Opera House.

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Vampires are a fact?

It is a controversial thought to believe that vampires might be real. People might find you crazy. But what if the myth has some truth to it?

Vampires Older Than Time

Vampires have been part of our folklore for hundreds of years. The beliefs that a being subsisting on the vital fluids of a human has timelessly been retold numerous times around the world.

To be quite honest, I wonder why it hasn’t been part of an episode of Ancient Aliens! Because when you do a little research it has you thinking if vampires are a fact.

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