I would like to know, if possible, what are some of the oldest mentions of LSD substances or people using it. Doesn't matter if it's a first person description or some kind of evidence. Simply anything interesting about the topic, or recorded trips and hallucinations.

Thanks ahead.

Sorry if anything is wrong with my English/question.

P.S. Any other substance with similar effects is fine aswell.

I grew up in a half Russian family and I was told from an early age not to talk about how much better grandpa's health was, or how my test scores seem to be going up lately, because it is a Russian superstition that boasting or openly talking about the good things in life will cause them to spoil (or so I was told).

Clearly that's not just a Russian superstition, because people always say "don't jinx it" in the USA and Canada where I have lived, and many people also knock on wood after saying something is going well, for the same reason.

So... Where does the idea of jinxing come from?

I'm talking like huge underground installments like black mesa in HL1.

Wasn't really sure were to post this question, but I was just curious. I tried searching myself but couldn't come up with any decent answers.

Asked this question on /r/history and was given a lot of good answers, but was also directed here for even more. Any information or links to sources would be highly appreciated!

My former high school history teacher is an awesome guy. He's basically a real life Forrest Gump. Anyways, one of the things he taught my class was that he thought the Zimmerman Telegraph to was fake. His main evidence for this was the German's refuting that they sent it, and that it was sent along British telegraph lines. Is this just a conspiracy theory? Or does it have some merit and backing as a theory by credible historians?

1. Did Vespasian think or try and convince other to think he was "Jesus" in the sense of great leader savior coming out of Palestine? He sort of suggests that in episode 71, backs off a bit in 72 (Vespasian as a man of the people without claims to divinely high birth) though talks about a large propaganda machine which certainly didn't want to debunk people's beliefs that Vespasian was divine. Can someone help me separate historical fact from podcast rhetoric or speculation?

24 minutes in Duncan says something like

After all, had he not heard the prophecy that the future rules of the world will emerge from Judea? Embroiled in the Jewish revolt - in Judea - Vespasian had not only heard the prophecy, he had come to believe it.

h/t to mmilosh who created a better transcription than i was about to put up.

2 Has Vitellius' reputation been redeemed by later historians in any significant way beyond pointing out all the sources are hostile to him?

3 Do we know more about the night battle fought in Vespasian's rise to power or the custom of saluting the sun which may have won the battle (people thought the eastern legions were signalling reinforcements)?

4 What were the British legions doing at the time

edit: thanks for the sluthing. Question 1. was pretty clearly answered.

It seems like it might be hard to use a shield to block arrows when you're carrying a Sarissa.

Does anyone have any information on whatever became of the flag taken into the battle of Lepanto by Müezzinzade Ali Pasha, admiral of the Ottoman fleet?

It was called the great "Banner of the Caliphs", a huge green banner heavily embroidered with texts from the Qur'an and with the name of Allah emblazoned upon it 28,900 times in golden letters.

The Ottomans were defeated and the flag was taken by the Christian fleet. It may have gone to Spain or to Rome. Surely it wouldn't have been destroyed or lost. It must still exist somewhere, maybe in some archive. I'm not able to find any information on it on the internet.

Thank you,

After looking into the war a bit more, it seems America would benefit from it. The U.S. wanted to take a neutral stance in the war, so couldn't trade with Germany as well Great Britain have made America an even greater superpower in addition to staying out of the war?

There's Mesopotamian civilization, Indus Valley civilization, Ancient Egyptian civilization, Ancient Greek civilization, and Ancient Roman civilization, but what civilization comes after?. After the Romans, was the term "Civilization" applied to any group of people in the Old World? And if not, why? Why don't we call it "Medieval Civilization" or "Renaissance Civilization"?

Any explanations, sources, or details you feel may be relevant would be awesome.

Thanks :)

Did they mostly survive on bread, or were other things commonly eaten? Was it common for troops to have a small amount of wine or other forms of alcohol on their person?

Infos like what distance did they throw their spears, their stamina... Were they more athletic than modern athletes?

In the renaissance, prior to mass public education in Europe, how hard would it be for someone to pull themselves up by their boot straps so to speak? Would a driven but poor child be able to get an education through churches, libraries, ect? How difficult would that be? How rare would it be for someone who was born poor to become an educated, wealthy individual?

Members of that scene have since changed their beliefs but I was curious as to whether pagans or Satanists doing similar things in the past. Thanks.

Edit: Varg may not have been a Satanist but members of emperor, who were also convicted, were. Also, one of the founders of the scene, Euronymous, was as well. To argue that black metal did not have Satanism involved is not accurate. Also, if you read my original text, I include paganism which would also in this case, apply to Varg as well.

Varg, who has revised his views and history frequently, was not and is not the sole member of the black metal scene.

Mayhem, Emperor, and other bands from that time were definitely had Satanic elements.

Today everyone is (freely) in search for his/her 'true love' but I heard that was diffrent in thr Middle Ages. Did people really find their true love or was your love life already settled at birth? What love possibilities and freedom did a peasant have and how about the same for a noble (wo)man? And when did this change into the 'freedom of love' we know today?