It's one of those cliches that you never really think about, and just assume that "it's always been this way". But there's no obvious reason why spirits and ghosts should look mostly cloth-like with convenient eye-holes à la Scooby Doo.

So where did that image come from, originally? Dickens illustrations? King Lear? Because I have no idea.

I just watched The Admiral and was curious so began reading about the Battle of Myeongnyang. A pretty smashing Korean victory.

Curious, I clicked on the Japanese version and let Google translate it for me. Now this is where it gets interesting.

The translation is sloppy, but I think there's no mistaking what the essence of what it says:

invasion of the results as Japan navy have been successful

and

battle of myeongnyang is "to strategically" the Korean side of defeat at this point.

and

Yi Yi has retreated to the north after the war, naval force of the Japanese side has achieved the strategic objectives is to advance to the West Bank

Rough translation: The Japanese consider this battle a victory for them because they managed to achieve some "strategic goal" of capturing the bank.

What is the truth here? Do these kinds of parallel versions of history exist between other countries? I find it so hilarious reading the Korean version and then the Japanese version of events. The Japanese live in their own world.

Their article on the occupation of Korea also conveniently contains no mention of any of the violent atrocities committed against its citizens.

I've heard about various foreigners fighting in the American Revolutionary War, notable ones being the Marquis de Lafayette and Casimir Pulaski. I just recently learned a little bit about Tadeusz Kościuszko after seeing a statue of him in Boston and that led me to look into other Polish people who supported the American side in the revolution, including Michael Kovats and (EDIT: My bad, Kovats was Hungarian) Haym Salomon.

I can understand why the French supported the American Revolution - it hurt the British and they had colonial ties to North America - but why were there so many Poles involved?

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