From the Gorgon to the Gift Shop: A Brief Archaeology of the Evil Eye
The matiasma is an apotropaic amulet designed to ward off the evil eye in Greek folklore.
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.
Curiouser and Curiouser: How the 100 Year Old Cottingley Fairies Hoax Just Got Better
Hidden in plain sight for a century, two recently reappraised Cottingley Fairy photographs bring a whole new dimension to the celebrated hoax.
The Mystery of the Green Man
Finding Green Men in medieval churches was a game for myself and my young charge; others have made it an all-engrossing spiritual quest. Deep things have been said about the head in the leaves: he is a trickster, a prophet, the guardian and revealer of mysteries. Well, maybe.
#PhallusThursday – The Penis as Potent Symbol
Many classical sculptures today have lost their penises to time and prudery but the ancient world was awash with explicit graphic imagery.