The London Stone: Protector of the City
Deep in the heart of London, hidden away behind a protective grille, is a stone thousands of people pass by every day without even knowing it’s there. And it could well be the key to keeping the country safe…
Mark Twain’s Wild West and the Presidential Election of 1872
In a daring act, facing frightful peril, Mark Twain exploited a legend to launch his onstage comic career. With his future as a lecturer on a knife’s edge, Twain decided to open with a worn-out narrative that had seen better days. A disgruntled audience nearly drove him from the stage … until they understood his brilliant manipulation of their own folklore.
The Casket Girls and Vampires of New Orleans
ew Orleans blends the past and the present into a heady mix where almost anything seems possible. Especially at Halloween. The balmy New Orleans evenings do more than just hint of the uncanny. It is a sense that strengthens and grows in the approach to Halloween turning even the stoutest hearts towards tales of past. […]
Cursed Paintings: Ill-Fated Portraits and Unlucky Landscapes
The cursed painting is an enduring urban legend that continues to have the ability to scare us, and also makes a good tabloid news story.
Folk Horror: Hours Dreadful and Things Strange by Adam Scovell, a Review
G. H. Finn reviews Adam Scovell’s excellent new book: Folk Horror: Hours Dreadful and Things Strange.