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

Marian of Sherwood

Douglas Fairbanks as Robin Hood giving Enid Bennett as Maid Marian (sic) a dagger; a screenshot from the 1922 United Artists film Robin Hood. United Artists, cinematographers Arthur Edeson & Charles Richardson - Dr. Macro, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=819577

Mention Maid Marian and Sherwood Forest in the same breath, and most people think of Robin Hood’s lady love. The forest outlaw and the noble lady are tied together so closely in modern folklore, popular literature, and movies, it’s hard to imagine one without the other.

Top 10 Fun Folklore Activities for Children and Their Grown-ups

Children running through a field of flowers

The joy of folklore is that it can be discovered and enjoyed at any age! Kate Boughton (@bigsmallfolk) shares some fun activities to get children excited about and involved in different aspects of folklore. Here are ten practical ideas to engage children in folklore.

Dark Side of the Sun: A Brief Guide to Midsummer Lore in Britain & Ireland

By by simonwakefield - https://www.flickr.com/photos/simonwakefield/3149066878/ (cache of original license), CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6029740

Each morning the sun rolls across the sky. In Estonia it was the hatched egg of the enchanted swallow bird, an emu’s egg bursting into flames in Australia, and a golden piece of bacon for the Nama people of South Africa. In the evening, it descends into the sea, as a bridegroom or warrior, golden rays transformed into spears or robes of light, hissing with heat as the waters close over it, before swimming back to the east. Sometimes in gloom-shrouded nights, we may imagine it will never return and we will be plunged into unyielding darkness, but still it rises and always will, at least for the next five billion years or so!

By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. more information

The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this.

Close