Throughout history, the world’s most influential figures have often surprised us with their tastes—not just in fashion or food, but also in pet ownership. From exotic reptiles to barnyard oddities, some of history’s brightest minds and biggest personalities have kept animal companions most would never dream of bringing home. These peculiar partnerships reveal as much ...

Carl Hagenbeck's Eight Thousand Tortoises James Hoare Wed, 11/26/2025 - 08:12

A 16th century gold posy ring found by a metal detectorist may have a connection to the Gunpowder Plot conspirators. Posy rings were popular from the late Middle Ages through the 18th century, often given to loved ones at betrothals and weddings. While most posy rings were gifts between lovers or spouses, they were also meaningful tokens of friendship and faithfulness of a non-romantic type. Their name is a reference to “poesy,” not a small bunch of flowers, because of the inscriptions on the interior surface that were declarations of love and loyalty. The inside of the ring is the part that makes contact with the skin, so the message was hidden to prying eyes and conveyed a special intimacy. The recently-discovered posy ring is decorated on the outside face with a geometric relief that is deep enough it may have originally been filled with enamel. The interior surface is inscribed “YOVR . FRENDE . IN . DEEDE.” No inscription with this wording has been found before, and there are thousands documented. The separation between “in” and “deed” suggests the giver wanted the recipient to know he would prove himself loyal in actions, not just words. It was found in May of 2022 next to the moat of Bushwood Hall in Lapworth, the place where Robert Catesby, the leader of the Gunpowder Plot, was born. The current half-timber manor house was built 15 years after Catesby was killed for his role in the plot to blow up Parliament, but the moat around it also encircled the previous house which had belonged to the Catesby family since the 15th century. Robert Catesby was born there in 1572, and after the death of his Protestant wife in 1598, he returned to his family’s undercover Catholic faith. Elizabeth I had outlawed Catholicism in 1570 after she was excommunicated, so Catholics were forced to attend Anglican churches or face fines, imprisonment and persecution. Many Catholics went underground, literally, practicing their faith in secret in hidden rooms. Those who refused to publicly disavow their faith were known as recusant Catholics. When James VI of Scotland, son of Mary Queen of Scots who had herself been executed by Elizabeth, ascended the throne in 1603, English Catholics had reason for optimism that the new king would loosen up the chains. He didn’t. He mistrusted the powerful Catholic families and was just as ruthless in suppressing the religion as Elizabeth had been. Early in 1604, Catesby hatched a plan to blow up the King and the House of Lords with gunpowder during the State Opening of Parliament on November 5th, 1605, and install James’ nine-year-old daughter Princess Elizabeth as their puppet queen. He recruited other Catholics, including Eighty Years’ War and Franco-Spanish War veteran Guy Fawkes, to join the plot. An anonymous letter alerted authorities to the danger, and on the night before the explosion was set to go off, Guy Fawkes was found in a cellar under the Parliament building guarding 36 barrels of gunpowder. He was arrested and the other plotters ran. Catesby was tracked down by a sheriff’s posse and was fatally shot at Holbeche House on November 8th. He was 33. At the time of the plot, Catesby was living at another of the family properties at Ashby St Ledgers on the Warwickshire/Northamptonshire border near Rugby. But Bushwood Hall was the base for the other plotters, with Catesby using it to stockpile weapons and supplies. It was also home to one of the key conspirators, John Wright, who had been at school with Guy Fawkes in York. It was also only accessed via a one-way road, so there was no passing traffic, and any valuable lost along the way likely belonged to someone who lived there or someone who had dealings with them. In conclusion, there is no verifiable direct link between this ring and any of the Gunpowder conspirators, but the find site, inscription and dating make it a tantalizingly plausible hypothesis. The posy ring is going up for auction on November 27th with a presale estimate of £8,000-£12,000 ($10,550-$15,830).

1791 - First US cabinet meeting, held at George Washington's home in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of War Henry Knox, and Attorney General Edmund Randolph attend. 1805 - Official opening of Thomas Telford's Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, the longest aqueduct in the UK and the highest canal aqueduct in the world, carrying the Llangollen Canal 126 feet above the River Dee 1894 - King Lafia "Absalamu" of Nikki signs accord with France 1940 - Nazi Germany began walling off the Jewish Ghetto in Warsaw 1953 - KBOI (now KBCI) TV channel 2 in Boise, ID (CBS) begins broadcasting 1966 - 1st major tidal power plant opens at Rance estuary, France 1990 - US proposes addition to UN resolution that would require Iraq's withdrawal from Kuwait by January 1 1996 - Baseball owners approve interleague play, 26-4 More Historical Events »

Wikimedia CommonsMap of Ireland featuring Hy-Brasil by Abraham Ortelius in the 16th century. Every seven years, a green wonderland supposedly appears out of the mist off the western coast of Ireland. Rich with forests, gold, and even faeries, the island allegedly lingers for one day before vanishing again. It’s known as Hy-Brasil, and though it seemingly exists only in legend, it appeared as a small, curious smudge on European maps for centuries. Indeed, Hy-Brasil can be seen on maps starting in the early 14th century, usually positioned just west of central Ireland. Over the centuries, some people even claimed to have visited the island, where they encountered friendly locals, black rabbits, gold and silver, and magical books. But the island stopped appearing on maps in the 19th century, around the same time that it was reportedly seen for the very last time. Since then, fascination about this mythical place has only grown. This is the story of Hy-Brasil, the mysterious mythical island near Ireland. What Is Hy-Brasil? Inside The Legend Of The Mythical Island Near Ireland Library of CongressA 14th-century map of Europe which appears to place Hy-Brasil just west of Ireland. Hy-Brasil existed in legend for generations, seemingly named for a legendary Irish king named Breasal. Also known as Hy-Breasal, Hy-Brazil, Hy-Breasil, Brazir, O’Brasil, the Enchanted Island, and the Isle of the Blessed, it’s allegedly located somewhere off the western coast of Ireland. It first appeared on a map in 1325, when Majorcan cartographer Angelino Dulcert placed an island called “Bracile” just west of Ireland. A century later, Venetian cartographer Andrea Bianco similarly indicated the existence of an island (this time called “Insula de Brasil”) in the same area. The cartographers seemingly placed the island on their maps because they’d heard rumors of its existence. Indeed, though Hy-Brasil existed in legend as “floating island” that appeared for just one day every seven years, then vanished as anyone tried to reach it, some claimed to have stepped foot on the mythical island. According to Irish Central, some of the earliest accounts come from 5th-century Irish saints, Saint Barrind and Saint Brendan, who both claimed to have seen the island which they called the “Promised Land.” Public DomainSaint Brendan was associated with the island of Hy-Brasil. They were hardly the only ones who claimed to have visited Hy-Brasil. Over the following centuries, a handful of others would also provide compelling accounts of reaching the island’s mythical shores. Sightings Of Hy-Brasil Over The Centuries Though most expeditions to Hy-Brasil have ended in disappointment, a handful of explorers have, allegedly, reached the shores of this mythical island. That said, some of their stories are more fantastical than others. According to the Royal Irish Academy, one such encounter with Hy-Brasil occured in the 17th century. In the telling of Roderick O’Flaherty, who wrote about the local history and lore of West Connaught in 1684, a man named Murrough O’Ley went for a walk in April 1668 after a fight with his wife, and was abducted by three men. His abductors took him to an island they called “O’Brazil,” which O’Ley described as similar to the Aran Islands. Returned unharmed to his home, O’Ley purportedly found that he suddenly possessed an incredible healing ability, despite never studying medicine. Library of CongressHy-Brasil, just visible beneath the stamp on this 18th century map, has been downgraded to the “Rock of Brazil.” Shortly thereafter, another alleged encounter with Hy-Brasil took place when a sea captain named John Nisbet came upon the island with his crew. Described in some accounts as Scottish, and in others as hailing from Killybegs in County Donegal, Ireland, Nisbet and his men were sailing from France to Ireland in 1674 when a sudden fog moved in. When the mist lifted, they found themselves dangerously close to an outcropping of rocks. Nisbet and his crew anchored their ship, and a small expedition rowed to a nearby shore. They allegedly found themselves on Hy-Brasil, where they claimed to have encountered black rabbits, a magician in a castle, and a kind old man who gave them gold and silver. Though the story of Nesbit’s crew may a fictitious invention, his discovery of the island purportedly prompted a second ship, this one captained by Alexander Johnson, to explore Hy-Brasil. Apparently, Johnson’s men were able to find the island as well and confirm Nesbit’s accounts. Two centuries later, in 1872, antiquarian and archaeologist T. J. Westrop also allegedly saw the island while sailing with his mother, brother, and several friends. Westrop had reportedly seen the island before, but in this final viewing, he and the other allegedly saw the island “suddenly” appear. “It was a clear evening, with a fine golden sunset, when, just as the sun went down, a dark island suddenly appeared far out to sea, but not on the horizon,” Westrop stated. “It had two hills, one wooded; between these, from a low plain, rose towers and curls of smoke. My mother, brother, Ralph Hugh Westropp, and several friends saw it at the same time.” Public DomainT.J. Westropp, an Irish antiquarian and archaeologist who claimed to see Hy-Brasil in the 19th century. Shortly thereafter, in 1878, the residents of Ballycotton, County Cork also allegedly saw the island. According to a collection of Irish tales put together in 1888 by D. R. McAnally, the residents noticed an island “where none was known to exist.” McAnally writes: “The men of the town and island of Ballycotton were fishermen and knew the sea as well as they knew the land. The day before, they had been out in their boats and sailed on the spot where the strange island now appeared… the day was clear and the island could be seen as plainly… It was rugged in some parts rocky, in others densely wooded; here and there were deep shadows in its sides indicating glens heavily covered with undergrowth and grasses.” Around the same time, however, Hy-Brasil began to disappear from maps of Europe. It seemingly last appeared on an 1873 British Admiralty Chart before it vanished back into the mist. The Legacy Of An Irish Legend Today, Hy-Brasil is mostly a charming setting for fantasy works, featured in films like Erik the Viking and books like Mary Stewart’s Merlin Trilogy. Elusive, magical, and located on the edge of reality, it’s reminiscent of other “lost” places like Atlantis or the continent of Lemuria. So what is Hy-Brasil? Maybe the island is a mirage. Maybe adding a fake island was a mapmaker’s trick, to track those who copied them. Or maybe Hy-Brasil exists somewhere off the coast of island, shrouded in mist, except for one day every seven years. Whatever it is, stories of the “Enchanted Island” help lend a touch more magic to the history of the Emerald Isle. After reading about the legend of Hy-Brasil, the Irish island that purportedly only appears every seven years, discover the fascinating stories of mythical creatures from Irish folklore. Or, go inside the harrowing story of Loftus Hall, the most haunted mansion in Ireland. The post The Enchanting Story Of Hy-Brasil, The Mythical Irish Island That Purportedly Appears Every Seven Years appeared first on All That's Interesting.