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 like neither.
“The neck! The neck! The neck!” – Kern Dollies, Corn Spirits & Harvest Home
Incorporating folklore can add authenticity, richness and whole new layers of meaning to historical fiction. Novelist Melissa Harrison explores how traditional practices and beliefs around the harvest informed her creative process when she was writing her new book, All Among the Barley
The Four-Leaf Clover: Druids, Eden, and… Handbags?
Generally, clover represents protection, fertility and abundance, but where does the widespread belief in a four leaf clover’s good luck come from?
Wishing on a Star: Angels, Normans, and Pinocchio
The exploration into the origins of common superstitions continues with ‘wishing on a star’.
Dark Folklore: The Hand of Glory in Folk Magic
We’ve all heard of the infamous hand of glory, the hand of a dead man, hanged for his crimes, and it’s often said that it could be used to open any lock.