The changing faces of ghosts in the Wild West … or what I learned from #FolkloreThursday

by Ronald M. James

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.

Slavic Traditions: The Garlands of Midsummer’s Eve

by Klara Sielicka

In Poland, Midsummer’s Eve garlands would be set on water, their path on the surface foretelling the owner’s future, and protecting from spells and curses.

Juraj Jánošík: An Outlaw Who Became the Slovak National Hero

by Petra Pavlíková

Jánošík, a young outlaw with braided hair, carrying a shepherd’s axe called valaška, and wearing rural clothing, is the unlikely hero of Slovakia who is also popular in Poland and the Czech Republic. Throughout the last three hundred years, he has remained to be the symbol of the fight for freedom, and he continues to inspire people to create more, fight for justice, and not to lose hope in the face of adversity.

Angels and Devils: The Legend of the Holy Mountain

by Anne O'Brien

The Skirrid Fawr Hill near Abergavenny in Wales is no ordinary hill, but a place of myth, legend, strong religious connection, and black deeds.

Anansi the Spider: Trickster or Teacher?

by Verona Spence-Adofo

The folklore stories of Anansi the Spider originate from the Asante people of Ghana and has orally been passed down over generations. The character is also known throughout West Africa and is popular in the Caribbean due to these ancient fables being carried to the region by enslaved Africans via the Atlantic Slave Trade.

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