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.
Spring-heeled Jack: The Terror of Victorian England
In 1838, the year Queen Victoria came to the throne, London was bedevilled by a clawed, fire-breathing, shape-shifting demon popularly known as Spring-heeled Jack. A rather haphazard creation of local gossip, newspaper reports, and penny dreadful fiction, this urban legend, once largely forgotten, is now being revived through a contemporary interest in steampunk and reimagined […]
‘May I have some water?’ The Fair-Haired Lady from the Toilet
Folklore changes and evolves with the peoples and their societies. It’s not rigid, it’s not concrete. As time passes, new characters emerge and others get their stories and features improved. Some may also disappear. This character (or monster!) I talk about in this post is quite modern – and scares many people, just by being so. Let’s meet A Loira do Banheiro (The Fair-haired Lady from the Toilet).
The Writing on the Wall: Street Art and Graffiti as Folk Art
Since the dawn of mankind we have desired to leave our mark on the world around us. From grand monuments, to drawings on the side of cave walls, our need to express is something that continues today — but has our relationship with the medium remained the same?
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…