The Ancient Egyptians held cats in high regard, both as beloved pets and as sacred vessels of the goddess Bastet. Legend has it that the Persians exploited this reverence to take over Ancient Egypt. Under the orders of King Cambyses II, the Persian army placed cats on the front lines and painted their shields with depictions of cats during the invasion of Pelusium in the Nile River Delta. The Egyptians put up no fight, afraid to hurt the sacred creatures and incur the wrath of Bastet. Read full article here
Oddities
Why Do Modern Pop Songs Have So Many Credited Writers?
The music industry has changed dramatically over the last few decades – with the number of songwriters credited on number one hits more than doubling. This is due to a combination of factors, including money, the computer and a changing definition of what songwriting is. For example, if The Beatles’ classic “I Feel Fine” was released today, it would likely have four writers credited instead of two, due to the influence of producers, samples and interpolations. With the rise of lawsuits, artists now preemptively add songwriter credits to their songs, even if the similarities between their song and the source material are coincidental. It all goes to show that the music industry is becoming more complex and competitive. Read full article here