Resource thread for weird and interesting historical details that could make for a more interesting fantasy setting.

One great source of 'huh, they built that WHEN??' is Ancient Inventions book (and series), showing the amazing gynecological instruments available to ancient Romans (not surpassed until about 150 years ago?), stone age bikinis, and much more.

Other stuff:
Olive oil fraud has been a big market for organized crime from the current day to ancient Rome, and ancient Rome had government bodies dedicated to stamping it out.

Fire protection rackets have been a problem in both 19th century New York City and, again, ancient Rome.

(Ancient Rome also had iced drinks, fast food stalls, and many other lesser-known features of 'modern' urban civilization)

One that's bouncing around my head at the moment is the ancient Roman idea of 'evocatio'... where they'd put on a big show of tempting away the tutelary god of an enemy... promising it worship and entertainments. Usually to demoralize a besieged enemy.
The idea of 'stealing' an enemy's god... his protection... like bargaining with mercenaries to switch sides in battle... mercenary gods selling themselves to the highest bidder... gives me some fun ideas for shaman/priest/cleric-types.

Also, the idea of covering idols to punish them... for bad crops, bad weather, etc. I can see some PCs running afoul of locals when they're spotted lifting the drapes on a roadside shrine to some god who has been put in time-out.

That reminds me... in early Mesopotamian culture you'd have a god per city. (Which is common to a whole bunch of early civilizations)

But, even moreso... the priests kept the true name and icons of that god hidden in the temples. Because they didn't want the enemies to learn how to properly invoke the god and tempt the god into betraying the city.

Quote from: Will;788019But, even moreso... the priests kept the true name and icons of that god hidden in the temples. Because they didn't want the enemies to learn how to properly invoke the god and tempt the god into betraying the city.

Interesting. I just finished a horror novel that centered on a cult trying to keep the visage of their fertility god out of the public eye... for fear of losing its favor and their proprietary strain of wheat.
A fun slant... adding ancient idols and occult secrets as targets of modern industrial espionage.

Quote from: Will;788019That reminds me... in early Mesopotamian culture you'd have a god per city. (Which is common to a whole bunch of early civilizations)

But, even moreso... the priests kept the true name and icons of that god hidden in the temples. Because they didn't want the enemies to learn how to properly invoke the god and tempt the god into betraying the city.

Civic gods were very common in the region. An interesting idea that was common at the time was that if your city ascended that your civic god had as well, for instance the rise of Babylon as a power saw its patron Marduk rise to the top of his pantheon.

For gaming purposes you could say that the struggles among the gods have a real effect on the fortunes of those areas that worship them and that an upsurge of worshippers can have a positive effect on a god.

Quote from: Simlasa;788017One that's bouncing around my head at the moment is the ancient Roman idea of 'evocatio'... where they'd put on a big show of tempting away the tutelary god of an enemy... promising it worship and entertainments. Usually to demoralize a besieged enemy.
The idea of 'stealing' an enemy's god... his protection... like bargaining with mercenaries to switch sides in battle... mercenary gods selling themselves to the highest bidder... gives me some fun ideas for shaman/priest/cleric-types.

Also, the idea of covering idols to punish them... for bad crops, bad weather, etc. I can see some PCs running afoul of locals when they're spotted lifting the drapes on a roadside shrine to some god who has been put in time-out.

He, don't tell my players, but it is one of the really big bad things troglodytes (a big cathegory, including kuo-toa, bullywugs, doppelganger and even aboleth) are doing.

They drive the gods of the surface insane with nonsential worship. Not even I am sure whether they do it on purpose.

They are batshit insane, in case you didn't catch that.

Graffiti is endemic to human culture, and ancient graffiti routinely said things like "Livia is a whore," "Posthumus loves to bugger gladiators" and "Samnos' wine shop serves the best food."

One of my favorite bits of real history is the political structure of the Inca Empire. If I understand correctly (which I may not, I'm hardly and expert) it goes like this:

When an emperor dies his body is mummified and parked in his old palace with all of his descendants except for his eldest son. While the eldest son gets to be emperor and builds a new palace, the rest of the descendants get to live in a nice palace and get supported by revenue from the lands that that emperor had conquered.

Then the new emperor had to build a new palace and conquer more land so that all of his descendants except for his eldest son would get a palace to live in and revenue to support them.

As you can imagine things got pretty unwieldy after a while and in certain cases there were conclaves of dead emperors where all of the dead mummified emperors met to discuss important stuff with their descendant/priests interpreting for them.

Quote from: Daztur;788158As you can imagine things got pretty unwieldy after a while and in certain cases there were conclaves of dead emperors where all of the dead mummified emperors met to discuss important stuff with their descendant/priests interpreting for them.

Well, shoot.  New role for mummies and liches beyond lurking in a dungeon, waiting to be slain by adventurers.

Tulips - from Amsterdam.

You couldn't really make it up. They were the i-phone of their day. You really don't need them, but we'll persuade you that you do. Oh, by the way, if you're short on the payments on your rent, we'll accept tulips as part payment.

Alas, the tulip bubble will burst, oh yes, it will.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulip_mania

iPhones of its day?? Hahahaha.

(Posted from my iPhone)

Quote from: One Horse Town;788170Tulips - from Amsterdam.

You couldn't really make it up. They were the i-phone of their day. You really don't need them, but we'll persuade you that you do. Oh, by the way, if you're short on the payments on your rent, we'll accept tulips as part payment.

Alas, the tulip bubble will burst, oh yes, it will.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulip_mania

You gotta be shitting me.  Gotta love history, you can't make that up.

Quote from: One Horse Town;788170Tulips - from Amsterdam.

Scott Nicholson made a board game about it: Tulipmania 1637

It is little news that forested, riparian environments are prime habitats for humans, but with a little research, one also finds coincidentally the almost universal religious appreciation of trees with sacred groves, benign tree spirits, etc.; from those groups (except Happy Tree Friends).

Quote from: dragoner;788176It is little news that forested, riparian environments are prime habitats for humans, but with a little research, one also finds coincidentally the almost universal religious appreciation of trees with sacred groves, benign tree spirits, etc.; from those groups (except Happy Tree Friends).

Yes. The Tree of Life/World-Tree cosmological concept is an incredibly widespread incredibly ancient idea.