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.
The Fool’s Church: Rahere and the Church of St Bartholomew
The story of the founding of Saint Bartholomew the Great is one that has all the hallmarks of good folklore – an unlikely hero, a vision, and a dangerous journey.
Iranian Folklore
Iranian folklore has a diverse, rich and historic tradition, with storytelling deeply rooted in Iranian culture.
The changing faces of ghosts in the Wild West … or what I learned from #FolkloreThursday
Let us begin with a ghost story. In 1872, fourteen-year-old Agnes McDonough announced that she was communicating with the spirit of her deceased father. She was part of a community of Irish Americans who settled in Virginia City, Nevada, home to the fabulous Comstock Lode and the Big Bonanza (giving its name to a famous television show). Crediting her father’s ghost, the young girl revealed insights about the afterworld, all scrutinized by a local priest who hoped to control the sensational aspects of the incident.
Harbingers of Heaven: Chinese Dragons of Earth and Sea
Chinese dragons are believed to be symbols of good luck and wisdom, bearers of immense power, and controllers of the sea and the weather.