British Folklore: The Traditional Jack-in-the-Green
The Jack-in-the-Green was (and indeed is) a traditional participant in May celebrations and May Day parades in the UK.
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, something on the spectrum between a bad taste and instant death.
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.
The Countryman Magazine: On Sanctuary, and a Medieval Boy Band…
This month, we’re delighted that the wonderful folks over at The Countryman magazine have kindly featured #FolkloreThursday in their January edition!
Dark and Intriguing: The Challenges of Ashmolean’s Spellbound Exhibition
The exhibition “Spellbound: Magic, Ritual & Witchcraft” at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford examines the history of magic over eight centuries, and shows how our ancestors used magical thinking to cope with the unpredictable world around them. Nick Swarbrick reviews the exhibition and the subjects which it explores.