Spirit Possession and Shamanic Ritual in South Korea: Business is booming
Whilst shamans and their rituals can vary widely from place to place, never in world history has a country industrialized
Bahadur—the Brave Dog
The pup sat on his hind legs with his mouth up near the cow’s udder and loved the white stream
21st-Century Victoriana: Our love letter to the dark
Within our current society of filtered perfection and aggressive online happiness, there is something oddly refreshing in the macabre.
Rag Trees, Blessed Fish and Blind Horses: Some Traditions around Holy Wells in Ireland
Ireland has at least 3,000 wells that are, or were at least up until recently, looked upon as holy or
As the Crow Flies: Corvids in Lore and Legend
Birds of the crow family have long been heralds of doom and devastation. They destroy crops, devour corpses, act as
What’s Your Lucky Number?
Nearly everyone has a lucky number. It may well be seven but all the numbers associated with luck – and
Dark Side of the Sun: A Brief Guide to Midsummer Lore in Britain & Ireland
Each morning the sun rolls across the sky. In Estonia it was the hatched egg of the enchanted swallow bird,
Telling the Bees: The Folklore of Bees and Beekeeping
Mark Norman explores the folklore of bees and beekeeping in his new book, 'Telling the Bees and Other Customs: The
‘Gather far, gather near, gather all the milk and butter here!’ Some May Day Traditions from Ireland
In Cork, on May morning before sunrise, a person went out and brought back a branch of hazel, holly and
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 Grotter & the Strange History of Shell Grottos
Shell grottos have a certain murky ambiguity to their history and folklore. This for me made them all the more
A Spot of Easter Violence, Anyone?
Easter customs of old were many and varied but who would have expected so many of them to be nothing
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
The Magic of Seeds – And the Wonders of Growth
Since the beginnings of human civilization, seeds have been revered for their gift of life. How we treat them in
The Human Heart in the Middle Ages and the Practice of Ablation – or Treatment of the Dead for Valentine’s Day
As Valentine’s Day comes around, spare a passing thought for that ubiquitous red heart that has come to symbolize the
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
Aurora Borealis: the Folklore of the Northern Lights
The Auroras, as we know today, are dependent on the interactions of the sun and our upper atmosphere, and have
Top 5 Winter Solstice Celebrations Around the World
The winter solstice has been celebrated in some form all around the world for centuries. Individual human cultures often
Yule Logs, Kissing-Bushes and Mistletoe: Christmas Greenery in Pre-Industrial England
Plants play a major part in the many customs surrounding the Christmas festivities. The Yule log for example, was essentially
Encounters With Ajarns: My Experiences With the Rituals of Thai Lanna Buddhism
Rituals can be transformational episodes that connect the initiand with other realms and higher cosmic plains. Thai Lanna Buddhist rituals
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?
Michaelmas: The Day the Devil Spits on the Blackberries?
On Michaelmas Day the Devil takes possession of the blackberries and to eat one after that day would risk… well,
The Mid-Autumn Festival: Mooncakes, Lanterns and Family
Of all the Chinese festivals, I love the Mooncake/Mid-Autumn Festival the most. Right after the scary Hungry Ghost Festival or
The Writing on the Wall: Street Art and Graffiti as Folk Art
Since the dawn of mankind we have desired to leave our mark on the world around us. From grand monuments,
Bloodletting and Bleeding: The History and Legends of This Health Cure
For thousands of years, physicians relied heavily on a single treatment for hysteria, heart disease and just about every other
Mis-purrs-ecptions: Cat Folklore
Cats. It’s not just the internet that is obsessed with these (sometimes) mysterious creatures, it seems people have always been
Ship’s Cats in Folklore and Legend
Ship’s cats have been sailing the seven seas alongside humans for centuries. They were not usually taken along as
Passing Through & Under: A Ritual Healing in England
Until the 20th century, the inadequacies of orthodox medical services left a large proportion of the population dependent upon traditional
The Folklore of Cryptocurrencies: Alchemy Revisited? (Or: How myths and legends can grow in under 10 years)
This article examines the myths and legends which have grown in the very short period since the incarnation of crypto-currencies.
Anasyrma: President Trump & the Power of the Pussyhat
nasyrma, or the lifting of one’s skirts to expose genitalia, has been used throughout history and mythology as a method
Cherokee Storytelling, Flower Lore and Language
Up until the genocidal removal known as "the Trail of Tears" storytelling was an extremely important part of Cherokee culture.
Bee Folklore: Humanity’s Eternal Companion
Bees have been an ally to humankind since ancient times. Discover how even now we look to the wisdom of
Horse or Dragon? May Day’s ‘Obby ‘Oss of Padstow, Cornwall
A horse or a dragon? Anyone who has seen May Day's ‘Obby ‘Oss of Padstow may conclude that it looks
Life in India: A Portrait of My First English Teacher
“Hat, cat, rat,” Umakant would shout at the top of his voice whenever he would see cowherds around the Peepal
Cuckoo Day and Animal Sacrifice: Folklore of the Creatures of Spring
Spring is the herald of new life, and throughout the animal world, spring is a time to forecast the weather
Red Hair Folklore: Are Redheads Descended From Cats?
Stereotypes based on appearance are all too common, but redheads certainly seem to have a raw deal. Where might some
The Fairy Trees: Blackthorn, Hawthorn and Rowan
White blossom on the trees is one of the delights of springtime, but it masks a deeper magic in three
Flower Folklore: Spring Blooms and Bells of Blue
Daffodils are said to have dangerously toxic bulbs. Once, it’s claimed, they were used by Roman soldiers as a ‘go
St Patrick’s Day Traditions: ‘My Patrick’s Pot on you!’
St Patrick’s Day, 17th March, is a key fixture in the Irish calendar, and indeed in many other places throughout
Tapping the Admiral: Nelson, Trafalgar & the Corpse in the Cask
The phrase "Tapping the Admiral" originates from a piece of folklore surrounding the death of Horatio Nelson at the Battle