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 Folklore of Rural Crafts’.
The Lessons of Monsters: As Learned from Cultural Demons Krampus and Namahage
Chris Kullstroem delves into the world of monsters, their cultural festivals and scare tourism…
The King’s Table: Exploring the Storytelling Tradition
#FolkloreThursday’s Willow Winsham interviews storyteller Jean Edmiston and her daughter Amanda on their family storytelling tradition, and Jean’s new story, “The King’s Table”.
The Origins of ‘Touch Wood’: Tree Spirits, The True Cross, or Tag?
The superstition of ‘touch wood’, or ‘knock on wood’ is still common today, but what was its original source? Madeleine D’Este explores some possibilities.
Folk Healing & Hypnotism: Arthur Spray, ‘The Mysterious Cobbler’ of Bexhill
Arthur Spray, known as ‘The Mysterious Cobbler of Bexhill’, wrote an autobiography in 1935 which detailed his famed powers in healing and hypnotism.