Icy Sedgwick
From Medicine to Murder: How the Apothecary Garden Found Its Dark Side
There's something about the concept of a poison garden that either titillates or terrifies, depending on your preferences. The UK's
The Victorian Language of Flowers: Hiding Secret Messages in Plain Sight
If a bouquet of flowers arrives at our door, we’re more interested in who sent them. The Victorians were more
From The Fool to the World: The History and Folklore of Tarot Cards
When you think of tarot cards, do you picture a fortune teller predicting your untimely end in a darkened room?
Roses are Red: The Sinister Side of Valentine’s Day Folklore
Sending mean cards? Eating mashed earthworms? Using jack o’lanterns to light medieval love banquets? They’re all surprising yet vaguely sinister
Speaking to the Dead: Necromancy in Magic and Folklore
So, what is necromancy and what does it have to do with folklore? Come with me, and let’s enter the
Skeleton Folklore: “I Can Feel it in My Bones”
Icy Sedgwick explores the folklore, beliefs, and superstitions associated with the human skeleton in traditional and contemporary cultures across the
Just Hanging Around: The Gallows in English Folklore
The gallows play a dark role in the history of punishment, but also show an important influence in folklore, folk
Evil Twins and Doppelgangers: What Meaning Does the Double Have in Folklore?
Many cultures have beliefs around shadows, reflections, and paintings. Taking control of doppelgangers in these forms means taking control of
The Tooth Fairy: Buying Teeth Since 1900
Who is the Tooth Fairy, and where did she come from?
What is First-footing and Can It Improve Your Year?
First-footing as a New Year custom is most common in Scotland and the north of England, but it does have