Roses are Red: The Sinister Side of Valentine’s Day Folklore
Sending mean cards? Eating mashed earthworms? Using jack o’lanterns to light medieval love banquets? They’re all surprising yet vaguely sinister ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day.
Nazis, Trolls and the Grateful Dead: Turmoil among Sweden’s Folklorists
A story of love, betrayal and impending war became entwined with upheavals that affect the discipline of folklore to this day.
Folklore of the Welsh Lakes: The Legend of the Bride from the Red Lake
A Welsh legend from the Red Lake tells the story of a doomed marriage between a mortal farmer and a beautiful Otherworld maiden who emerged from the lake.
Bear Folklore, Through Myths, Legends and Folktales
Whenever a bear shows up in a folktale, we know something wonderful, and maybe a bit scary, is about to happen
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.