The Devil in the Room: Researching the History of Witchcraft in Ireland

A witch at her cauldron surrounded by beasts. Etching by J. van de Velde II, 1626. Wellcome Collection. CC 4.00 https://wellcomecollection.org/works/zn34a767?query=witch

The narrative of witchcraft in Ireland is a subject often left out of major surveys of the wider history of witchcraft. Dr. Andrew Sneddon’s research explores the presence and complexities of witchcraft beliefs and traditions in an Irish context.

Meet Mexico’s Trinity of Death – Day of the Dead, Santa Muerte, and Catrina Calavera

Catrinas, traditional figures for day of the dead celebrations in Mexico.  By Tomascastelazo, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17081090

October the season of death is here and soon comes Halloween with its cavalcade of ghosts and goblins together with the Catholic holy days of All Saints and All Souls, known in Latin America as Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead).

Built with the Bones of the Dead: The Hidden Church of San Bernardino, Milan, Italy

Basilica di Santo Stefano © Francesco Zocchi 2016.

The most interesting parts of Milan are hidden in plain sight. This city, once an ancient Celtic settlement conquered by Romans and now considered the fashion capital of Europe, isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when planning for your holidays in Italy. Flashier and more popular choices like Venice, Florence or Rome are the usual tourist […]

Tanuki: Mischief, Magic and Change in the Japanese Countryside

The Lucky Tea Kettle of Morin Temple, from the series New Forms of the Thirty-six Ghosts, a series of 36 prints published by Sasaki Toyokichi in 1889-92. By Yoshitoshi https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5496954

The Japanese raccoon dog or tanuki, a shape-shifting, hedonistic and jovial trickster, has always lived in the borderlands between human settlement and the wilderness

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