How to Sell Your Wife …
How do you rid yourself of a wife who no longer pleases you? Sell her, of course.
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? Do you think they’re evil? Thankfully, as you’ll soon discover, the former is unlikely and the latter is simply wrong. Let’s investigate the history and folklore of this much-maligned form of divination.
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 to’ suicide resource for times of desperation.
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.
Plagues, Fires and Human Sacrifice: Hidden Meanings of London Nursery Rhymes
Kim McGreal explores the curious and macabre origins of some well-known childhood nursery rhymes.