Erotic Folktales: The Yule Buck and the Girl
Simon Hughes examines erotic folktales—a less well known, and often censored, area of folklore—and presents a self-translated example from his work.
Food & New Beginnings: How We Celebrate by Eating Circles
We humans, love to eat and we love to celebrate with food, from weddings to birthdays to a Sunday family lunch. Whilst our customs might be different, all around the world we celebrate new beginnings, whether that is a new year, a new marriage or a new baby. And while the food we serve to celebrate new beginnings may be slightly different in our own corner of the globe, there seems to be a universal theme in the type of food we eat. We celebrate the new with circular-shaped food.
London Folklore: The Legendary Frost Fairs of the River Thames
he legendary frost fairs on the River Thames are depicted in a number of works of art that show just how cold, icy and severe the weather became during winter, in comparison to the weather experienced in London in modern times.
Some Words About ‘The Quiet Music’ from Jackie Morris
At present I am tangled in brambles and ivy, steeped in acorns and oak and painting the rhythm of the air as it moves through the feathers of a raven’s wing. I am working, as ever, on a new book, The Lost Words, written by Robert MacFarlane, illustrated by me, to be published by Hamish […]
Italy’s Pagan Santa Claus: The Story of La Befana, the Christmas Witch
Who is la Befana, the Italian Christmas witch?