The Winged Demoness of Death: Vanth and the Etruscan Underworld
On the walls of a 300 BCE Etruscan tomb, Vanth, a winged demoness of dark and stern gaze, flanks a door to the Great Unknown.
Finnish Folklore: Louhi, Witch of the North
Do you know the stories of The Kalevala? If you do you are in select company like J.R.R. Tolkien who loved the stories and drew on them for his own writing.
Purgatory in Spanish Folklore: The Night of the Ánimas
In rural Spain, the night still belongs to the ánimas, the spirits of the dead who didn’t go straight to Heaven or Hell.
Folkore of Wales: The Skeleton Tree, Derwen Ceubren yr Ellyll
Derwen Ceubren yr Ellyll, which means “The Hollow Oak, Haunt of Demons” or “The Blasted Oak of Spirits” was a real tree. Its story is dark and terrifying.
Death Omens: How Well Do You Know Them?
We might all lay claim to some superstitions to guard against bad luck, but an ingrained belief in death omens is another matter.