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 practices, and even everyday language.
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 associated with Christmas Eve, for on the evening of that day it was traditional to transport the log to the fireplace, ignite it and allow it to burn for at least 12 hours if ill-luck was to be avoided.
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 the world. It may not have the wealth of traditions associated with the traditional Irish quarter days but its popularity and the festivities associated with it make it central to the Irish year.
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 enticing to use as the basis for a ghost story in my tale, ‘The Grotter’ in Nyctophobias. Especially with my roots as a Whitstable native in Kent, where grottos are still primarily lit once a year as part of the Oyster Festival celebrations. These grottos are usually stacked in a ‘beehive’ style pyramid, held together with wet sand and illuminated by a short candle.
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 of these ideas have come from?