Gargoyles: Demons in the Sky or Grotesque Guardian Angels?
An exploration of the history, myths and enduring legacy of gargoyles in popular culture.
NFTs and … Folklore? G&(NF)Ts at the Saatchi Gallery
Just what do cryptocurrencies, gin, art and folklore have in common? Not much, you might well think. Yet #FolkloreThursday was recently invited to a curious event that blended these seamlessly, conjuring images of the apothecaries of old.
The Calderstones: Invoking the Spirits of Place
South Liverpool, where I was born and live still, is a place full of green-spaces. Its abundance of woodlands, parks, cemeteries, playing fields and golf courses are linked by an intricate network of narrow, bramble-lined public footpaths and overgrown roadside verges. The more romantically inclined might be tempted to call them faerie paths, or corpse […]
The Clarke Charm Collection: Of Witch Bottles, Witch Cakes and Hag Stones
Clarke’s charm collection reveals a range of uses, including cures for sore throats, the protection of seafarers from drowning, and good luck charms.
Supernatural Safeguarding: Hidden Objects in the Post-Medieval Home
What do a child’s shoe, a cod-liver oil bottle, and a desiccated cat have in common? They’re all objects that have been discovered in unusual locations within buildings. In fact, a vast variety of objects have been found (from pantaloons to chickens), often dating to the 18th and 19th centuries, under floorboards, hearthstones, and thresholds; […]