Fancy a folkloric read? Check out #FolkloreThursday’s books!
Fancy a folkloric read? Check out FolkloreThursday’s books!
Why Werewolves Eat People: Cannibalism in the Werewolf Narrative
The one constant throughout visual and literary representations of the werewolf is the willing – or unwilling – consumption of human flesh. This trope is drawn directly from the ancient origin of the werewolf myth.
Japanese Folklore: Fushimi Inari-Taisha and Kitsune Fox Legends
Follow the path marked by red torii gates and enter a world outside of the city, a world of meandering paths, where there are more foxes than people.
British Legends: The Madness of Merlin (Part 1)
The Vita Merlini, written by Geoffrey of Monmouth in the twelfth century, tells the story of Merlin after the Battle of Camlann, where he ruled over South Wales, had a wife named Guendoloena and a sister named Ganieda.
Magic to Heal the ‘Wandering Womb’ in Antiquity
The idea that the womb wandered about the female body was prevalent in antiquity, even after it was disproven by some ancient physicians.
May Day, Weddings and Births – Folklore Trees and Traditions in Bavaria
Maypoles are often seen as a quintessentially English tradition, yet in Bavaria the raising of the Maibaum (or May Tree) is also an important event, and it is not the only time a tree is hefted aloft in celebration.