This is a blog about the famous "Necronomicon" and one of its main protagonists Abdul Alhazred. The Necronomicon and the characters upon which the story is originally based are all initially from the works of H.P. Lovecraft although other writers have adopted and adapted the tales themselves-perhaps most prominent among whom is Richard Chambers-in addition to many other versions of it that have appeared or are generally referenced in numerous horror movies and comics over the years.
Chocolate or xocolatl originated in present day Mexico and was introduced to the Spanish in the 16th century. Try this recipe for making a chocolate drink from cocao pods as you reflect on the origins of chocolate and its spread across the Americas, Europe, West Africa and elsewhere.
Thomas Mann‘s emigration to the United States in 1938 was one of many watersheds in a turbulent life. An important part of this life-change was his association with the Library of Congress from 1941 to 1952.
A new digital collection provides worldwide access to select titles from the Korean Rare Book Collection in the Asian Division at the Library of Congress.
Two rare Tibetan traditional hand-painted scrolls called thangkas have been digitized by the Library of Congress. This blog tells their interconnected story.
In celebration of National Native American Heritage Month, this bibliographic essay on Mesoamerican ethnology by Duncan Earle for the Handbook of Latin American Studies (HLAS) explores contemporary Indigenous life and cultures of the Americas.
In 2017, the Hebraic Section acquired a miniature Hebrew prayer-book of exceptional beauty and detail, handwritten and illustrated by one Joseph ben Meir Schmalkalden in Mainz, Germany in or around 1745. With its brightly painted images and exquisite detail, this miniature is one of the loveliest examples of a genre which enjoyed something of a renaissance in 18th century Central Europe. This blog places special emphasis on the life of the largely unknown artist who created this beautiful piece, and examines the connection between his signature and the rainbow with which he illuminated one of its pages.
In recognition of National Native American Heritage Month, this bibliographic essay on Mesoamerican ethnohistory by Bradley Benton and Peter Villella for the Handbook of Latin American Studies (HLAS) explores Indigenous life and cultures, particularly Aztec and Maya, before, during, and after the Spanish conquest.
