British Legends: The Quest for the Holy Grail
In Arthurian romance the mystical, magical quest of the Sangreal is a popular story that has its roots in medieval times, though its seeds may be from much earlier.
British Legends: Morgan le Fay – Magical Healer or Renegade Witch?
In Arthurian tradition the elusive sorceress Morgan le Fay becomes one of King Arthur’s most dangerous foes.
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.
Fighting Magic With Magic in Italy: The Good Walkers
The Benandanti were a surprising third party in the fight of good versus evil in Medieval Italy; one that not even the Holy Inquisition could make sense of.
British Legends: Gogmagog and the Giants of Albion
According to legend, Gogmagog was the last survivor of a mythical race of giants that ruled the island of Albion before the arrival of Brutus of Troy.