Unravelling the Sexual Mystique of Sleeping Beauty
Sleeping Beauty has an allure that is undeniable. Her story has retained a place in our traditions. Time has reshaped her dilemma and salvation.
#PhallusThursday – The Penis as Potent Symbol
Many classical sculptures today have lost their penises to time and prudery but the ancient world was awash with explicit graphic imagery.
Swan Folklore: Hope Is the Thing with Feathers
What is it about swans? They feature heavily in Western European folklore, a graceful animal for a human to be transformed into as a curse, or shapeshifting into humans at will.
Frolicksome Women: The Folklore of Wife Selling
Wife selling is often claimed to be an ancient practice, carried out by brutish men to free themselves of unwanted wives, but the truth is far more varied and fascinating.
The Human Heart in the Middle Ages and the Practice of Ablation – or Treatment of the Dead for Valentine’s Day
As Valentine’s Day comes around, spare a passing thought for that ubiquitous red heart that has come to symbolize the event. Historically speaking, there is a lot more than is at the surface for that emblem of love.