Richard Cavendish – författare

First published in 1975, The Powers of Evil is an interesting study of beliefs about supernatural agencies, thought to menace and prey on human beings, are known to all societies and, even in this age of materialism and rationalism, they still have a firmer grip on Western minds that is not always understood or admitted. Richard Cavendish investigates supernatural agencies which have been involved over the ages with thought and belief in areas far beyond their own immediate spheres of suffering harm and death. These beings and forces include the Devil and the demons of Christian tradition, the evil gods and spirits of paganism, malevolent ghosts, witches, vampires, nightmares, powers of the underworld and hell, giants, dragons and many other sinister creatures of popular belief, as well as the two great evil and inescapable mechanisms of death and fate. He examines recurrent themes and motifs in the context of the ancient world and medieval Europe as well as modern Europe and North America: the connection between evil and the animal world for example, the dread of being devoured, the links between death, evil and sex, the fear of disorder. This book will be of interest to students of history, religion and folktales.

First published in 1975, The Powers of Evil is an interesting study of beliefs about supernatural agencies, thought to menace and prey on human beings, are known to all societies and, even in this age of materialism and rationalism, they still have a firmer grip on Western minds that is not always understood or admitted. Richard Cavendish investigates supernatural agencies which have been involved over the ages with thought and belief in areas far beyond their own immediate spheres of suffering harm and death. These beings and forces include the Devil and the demons of Christian tradition, the evil gods and spirits of paganism, malevolent ghosts, witches, vampires, nightmares, powers of the underworld and hell, giants, dragons and many other sinister creatures of popular belief, as well as the two great evil and inescapable mechanisms of death and fate. He examines recurrent themes and motifs in the context of the ancient world and medieval Europe as well as modern Europe and North America: the connection between evil and the animal world for example, the dread of being devoured, the links between death, evil and sex, the fear of disorder. This book will be of interest to students of history, religion and folktales.

It’s a hard look that we must face at European settlers, frightened by differences in heritage, religion, and skin, unable to respect the beauty in other races. They did not understand the sexual orientation of God’s creation. “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it," wrote George Santayana. We romanticize the old days maybe because they are behind us and can no longer harm us. And from the good that was there, we build a better tomorrow.

Here are five historical dramas of Kentucky:

The Botanic GardenHorace Holly arrives in Kentucky with dreams to create his own university which is deemed to be the Harvard of the West. The faculty he chooses includes an eccentric European botanist who believes that every great university must have its own botanical garden. Dreams collide within the struggles between religion, government, and ambition. A play about Constantine S. Rafinesque and Transylvania University in Lexington, Kentucky.

Sabbath of the SoulThree weary travelers meet one evening at a railroad station awaiting arrival of the train carrying the one person most influential to them. Remembrances of this one exceptional life help them come to terms with their own mortality and purpose. A play about the life of Emily H. Tubman and Frankfort, Kentucky.

Emma of ElmwoodAn architect, hired to demolish and replace a beloved house, is haunted into rebuilding his own life. A play about Emma P. Watts and Eastern Kentucky University of Richmond, Kentucky.

The Dust of SummerA woman imprisoned by her domestic life discovers a runaway soldier seeking refuge from himself, both trapped between courage and duty. A play about Pleasant View Farm and The Battle of Richmond in Madison County, Kentucky.

The Two VillagesAfter years of engagement and unable to set a date for a wedding, a struggling painter is confronted by his fiancé as they journey to understand the obstacles that have plagued their relationship. Being true to one’s art comes with a price. A play about Kentucky’s own impressionistic painter Paul Sawyer of Frankfort, Kentucky.