Five Reasons Fig Trees Are Folklore Royalty
No plants feature so often in folklore, in so many places, as fig trees. There’s a biological basis to many of these stories.
Folk-Ore: The Magical Power of Blacksmiths and Their Enduring Stories
The folklore of iron and smithing has been common since prehistory, and one of the oldest folktales tells of a blacksmith forging a deal with the devil.
Tongue, Pen, Ear, Page — Collecting and Performing Folktales and Ballads
How do writers collect and re-tell regional folktales? Kevan Manwaring explains his influences, methods, and inspirations for his work in this area.
Animal Folklore: Chasing Hares Through Stories, Myth, and Legend
Hares are widespread geographically, so hare stories are widespread culturally. But hares take on a surprising variety of roles in folklore, myth & legend.
The Boggart: A Study in Shadows
I became fascinated by boggarts about a decade ago. If I turned to the fairy and folklore dictionaries, I learnt that a boggart was a type of house goblin or perhaps, at a stretch, a poltergeist.