When we first envisaged the Treasury of Folklore book series, we imagined it as one book covering all types of physical landscapes where humans live across the world. The material we uncovered greatly surpassed what could be contained within a single book. Yet now, we finally have the opportunity to compile much of this folklore in one special volume: a compilation of our favourite folklore contained within the three original books in the series.
We started the series in search of understanding. We aimed to explore how humans across the globe create customs, beliefs and tales around the places they live in. Although the details of these beliefs and customs vary from place to place, the truth that we unearthed is that, in so many ways, we are all inherently the same. We discovered that we, as humans, all share primal fears and dreams, no matter where we live, how we dress, or what we choose to name the monsters of our myths and legends. Gazing across the ocean into the vast horizon, we all long for the treasures and pleasures that the wide world around us can offer. We all dread the unknown as we gather around our campfires in the darkness of the nighttime forest. We all stand in awe of the eternity of time under the glimmer of ancient stars, wondering about the unwritten future of our own short lives.
When we began writing together nearly a decade ago, we could never have dreamed where it would take us. Inspired so greatly by the overwhelming outpouring of folklore through the #FolkloreThursday hashtag, we knew we wanted to create something meaningful, lasting, that reflected the unifying universality of folklore across the globe. The popularity of the three books in the Treasury of Folklore series – Seas and Rivers, Trees and Woodlands and Stars and Skies – has been both surprising and heartwarming, and we thank each and every person who has bought and read these books.
When the idea was first suggested to bring out a compendium of the Treasury of Folklore books, we immediately knew that we had to take this opportunity to bring the folklore together as originally envisaged: in one volume. Much work went on behind the scenes, reading through the words we already knew so well, with fresh eyes, as we worked out what to include and what to leave out, in the best way to bring it all together in one volume that spans our shared landscapes across time and place. To say we have been blown away by the end result is an understatement, and we are utterly thrilled to be able to share this beautifully bound volume with you. We love the size and the cover combining everything and the beautiful cream paper: it is a ‘hefty tome’ indeed.
We must stress the fact that you will not find new material within this book, containing as it does text taken directly from the existing three books of the series. It will however, make a beautiful addition to any book case or coffee table, a conversation starter, a way to connect. The Treasury is split into three sections, each containing extracts from the three books, and displaying the wonderful original illustrations of Joe McLaren.
The Treasury of Folklore: Waterlands, Wooded Worlds and Starry Skies is now available now for pre-order, and will be released on 1st August, 2024.
In the meantime, here are some extracts to whet your folkloric appetites…
First let us share with you the perilous steeds that lurk beneath some of the world’s lakes and waterways. Whether real creatures or cautionary tale, would you want to take that chance?
Water Horses: Majestic and Malevolent Creatures from the Depths
Alonely and weary traveller finds himself walking beside a river, when suddenly he hears the sound of something moving through the
water. The beat of hooves, the flash of a mane, and then, there, a horse: the answer to all his woes. The man mounts without caution, but this is no ordinary steed. He has become the next victim of one of folklore’s less friendly creatures: the water horse.
One of the most famous water horses is the Scottish kelpie. However, while the terms are often used interchangeably, water horses and kelpies are two distinct creatures in Scottish folklore, with the latter found in rivers, while water horses such as the each-uisge frequent the lakes and lochs.
With the unwary traveller on his back, the kelpie ultimately drags his victims down beneath the water to their death. There were ways to cheat the kelpie, however. In some tales it was possible for the kelpie to be at least seemingly tamed, made to do one’s bidding by way of a bridle marked with a cross. This control would prove illusory and fleeting, and the moment the work was done the kelpie would flee back to its watery home, sometimes taking the rider with it. In one story, we learn that it is possible to kill a kelpie, the deed on this occasion carried out using that scourge of so many folkloric creatures: red-hot iron.
The prominence of the kelpie in Scottish folklore is evident from the sculptures located near Falkirk and visible from the M9 motorway. Measuring a staggering 30m (98ft) tall, they have been part of the landscape since 2013, testament to the enduring hold the kelpie has over the Scottish imagination. Another testament to the lasting and farreaching nature of the legend is the appearance of the kelpie in modern literature, such as the works of Lari Don and an entry in J.K. Rowling’s Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
Despite this great fame, interestingly, the kelpie or indeed any variant is not present south of the border in English folklore, with England’s lakes and rivers being decidedly lacking in water horses of any kind.
This deficit is redressed in Wales where there are tales of the Ceffyl Dwr. Still a staple of Welsh folkloric belief into the 19th century, the Ceffyl D w r varied in appearance and purpose. In the north of the country, the horse was just one form taken by this spirit that was prone to shapeshifting and violence towards people. In the south, the Ceffyl Dwr presented consistently as a small horse, enchanting in appearance, that lured people onto its back. Speed is commonly remarked upon in tales of the Ceffyl Dwr, and they are said to be able to cover huge distances in an impossibly short space of time before vanishing, leaving the hapless rider to drown. One exception to this rule – and an example of denominational equality – was where clergymen were concerned. Clergymen of any creed were said to be able to ride the horse without the rude treatment afforded to others, and there are several tales that relate how a minister reached his destination unscathed, while their accompanying clerk or deacon were left behind or thrown into the water.
The Scandinavian water horse is the bäckahäst or ‘brook horse’. Most often seen when foggy, the bäckahäst is described as a majestic and luminous being. After beguiling riders into mounting, it plunges back down beneath the water to drown the victim, who is unable to dismount. Frequently in tales of the bäckahäst, those who ride the animal are children, perhaps because they are deemed more foolhardy, or perhaps to increase the sense of peril and impending tragedy in the reader. One popular version is that of a group of boys playing on a winter evening near a frozen river. When a beautiful horse appears, they climb onto it one by one. The last child, marvelling at the sight of his friends all mounted, declares the horse to be amazing, using a colloquial phrase that also happens to rhyme with the words Jesus Christ, which he says instead due to mispronunciation. The horse then disappears, leaving the lads with sore behinds but saved, due to the bäckahäst’s hatred of the name of Christ. Despite the terrible predictions, many, or in fact most, tales end with the riders surviving. Like the kelpie, the bäckahäst could also, according to some tales, be put to work, sometimes because the rider had tricked it.
Now let us leave the watery depths behind to venture into the verdant greenery of the forest. Here is the domain of the Lords of the Wild, where shapeshifting gods reign supreme.
Lords of the Wild
Lordly spirits and creatures of the forests and jungles abound the world over. Some are malevolent creatures, living alone in the
woodlands, wreaking havoc, leaving naught but destruction in their wake. Others are protective wild men, looking after the creatures of the forests and the trees within them. Here we take a look at some of these lords of the wild, uncovering their true faces as we brush away the leaves that hide them in the shadows.
The Forest God Tapio, Finnish
Tapio – also known as Metsähine, or Hiisi – is the Finnish king of the forest realm. He is tall, thin, with a coat of either ermine fur or
moss, and his head is capped with a hat. Like the green man or foliate heads of Europe, he peers out from underneath bushy eyebrows of moss and lichen, usually with a great beard – sometimes of straggling black hair. Similar to the hulder or other female spirits of Scandinavia, he is said to look thoroughly human from the front, but with the back of a gnarled tree. It’s said he is as tall as a tree and is both the personification and the protector of the forest. In the past hunters had to ask for his blessing before their chase, to ensure a good hunt, pledging to respect the ways of the woods, that they would be respectful of the land and creatures, hunting quietly, and disrupting no one and nothing. It was believed Tapio was lord of all creatures of the forest, and could ensure a hunter a plentiful haul, or curse himto leave empty-handed. The Estonian equivalent of the god is similar, yet, like the Norse god Odin, has only one eye.
Like many gods of the Finns, Tapio has a family. His wife is named Mielikki when she is benevolent, and Kuurikki when she is not; their son, Nyrikki, is said to help hunters by making marks for them to find their way through the trees. Tulikki, their daughter, helps those in the forest by directing prey towards them.
The Leshy, Slavic
The leshy, leshii or lyeshy is a Slavic tutelary spirit of the woods, and a protector of the trees and animals; in Ukraine he is guardian of
wolves above all other animals, while others say he is only servant to his favourite animal, the bear. Like bears, the leshy hibernates in winter. Known by many different names, all usually show these creatures to belong to the forests, and as being ruled by either the woodsman or the Devil. Many liken them to Greek satyrs, human from above the waist but sporting horns, claws and a bushy beard that some report as forest green, while others say they are entirely covered in moss. They are shapeshifting creatures, changing size and form at will: they are able to grow taller than a tree, or as short as a blade of grass. Some say they appear huge from a distance but are tiny up close. Leshies can disguise themselves as any familiar human, animal or plant of the forest. When appearing in human form they can be identified easily in that they never have eyelashes or brows, they might wear their shoes on the wrong feet; in Yaroslavl Province in Russia they will have their skirt or kaftan wrapped in the opposite way to the local fashion. Some have only one eye, but all are covered in wild hair, with the cloven feet of the fauns – or the Devil himself. In some regions they have wings and a tail with black fur; in others they wear white and always have swollen eyes.
Their bellowing whips up great winds when they charge through the forest surveying their territory, and all the creatures flee in terror. If people encroaching on their forests uninvited do not flee when warned by the leshy’s shrieking laughter, clapping or howling, they will often be lost to the wilds by morning, after the leshy has confused them, lured them from the path and changed their surroundings about them, and they are never seen again. As with other fabled creatures of the forest, leshies are trickster figures, able to alter their voices to mimic others, enticing people towards them, where they can, apparently, tickle their victims to death. Their voices can also sound like creaking branches or rustling leaves. Illness can befall those who cross a leshy, and they abduct women to marry – or otherwise – and often take children found wandering in the forest or those cursed by their parents. The creatures were famous for inflicting their wrath and cursing entire farms, sucking the milk from the herd; in response, famers from the Olonetsky District
of Russia used to sacrifice a cow to them annually to ensure the welfare of their cattle. Those who say a prayer before entering the forest, or leave offerings of bread, tobacco and the like, are safe from their wrath.
It is believed that leshies live either alone or with their wives – the lesovikha – and their children, sometimes in a hut in the middle of the woodlands. It seems they are not above battling their own kind, often carrying clubs to wage war, ripping up trees as they go. One leshy from Vologda District was said to frequent local taverns while driving his wolf pack, guzzling down a whole bucket of vodka before venturing back out into the night. They are notorious gamblers, usually bargaining with squirrels instead of money. Playing cards is a favourite pastime – although only using card decks without clubs, since they resemble the Christian cross too closely for their liking.
Like with fae folk across the world, one way of ensuring your safety against leshies is to turn your shirt inside out and put your shoes on the wrong feet; this is said to make them laugh, which returns you immediately to the rightful path you recognize. The method in some areas is quite specific: strip down until you’re naked, and then put all your clothes back on, yet backwards. Another way to make them laugh is to swear at them remorselessly, which will make them leave at once. Making the sign of the cross is a less fun way of banishing them. However, if you would like to summon a leshy, the method is simple: go into the forest and cut down a number of young trees – birch is best. Place these in a circle on the ground, tops touching in the middle. Stand in the centre, making sure to wear no Christian symbols, call out to the grandfather of the forest, and he will come.
Finally we leave you gazing skyward to that greatest of all celestial bodies, the moon. Across time and place humankind have seen faces and images upon its surface, creating myriad tales and ideas around how they got there. Here is one such story…
The Hare
A common idea is that a rabbit or hare lives on the moon, a motif found in several different cultures. The Sea of Tranquillity
is seen as the rabbit’s head, while the seas of Fertility and Nectar are the ears.
In a story in the Buddhist Sasa-jātaka, the hare had three friends: the otter, jackal and monkey. Hare told his companions how it was good to give alms, and how, on the forthcoming fast day, they should give food to any beggar who asked for it. When the next day came, the deity Sakka – ruler of the Trāyastriṃśa heaven, and a protector of Buddhism according to Buddhist belief – came down to earth disguised as an old man, and asked for food to test them all. Otter, Jackal and Monkey all readily gave food that they had to hand, but Hare, having nothing to gather but grass, knew this would not do, and offered himself upon a fire for Sakka to eat.
For his faithfulness, Sakka did not allow the hare to perish, but plucked him from the flames and set him in the moon. In some versions, he used the essence extracted from squeezing the mountain to draw the image of the faithful hare on the moon for all to see. There are other very similar stories about a self-sacrificing hare in other cultures, with different animals being listed as his friends.
In a tale from Sri Lanka, Buddha was lost in a wood. Hare offered to help him find his way, but Buddha said he was hungry and poor and could not pay him for his services. Hare immediately offered himself to eat; when Buddha made a fire, Hare threw himself onto it, but Buddha, using his powers, saved the selfless creature and sent him to the moon where he is today. There is a similar tale in Japan, where the rabbit is known as Tsuki no Usagi, and the Man in the Moon comes down to earth disguised as a beggar. The other animals present him with food, but the rabbit, with only grass to offer, sacrifices himself on the fire for the beggar, who then transforms into his original form and takes the rabbit up to live with him in recognition of his selflessness. This is a popular Japanese tale, and often told to children in September, at the time of the Harvest Moon and the Mid-Autumn Festival.
In a different vein, according to a tale from South Africa, the hare is responsible for the fact that humankind is doomed to die. Moon sent Hare down to tell people that just as she, the moon, ‘died’ when she faded away each month, only to return again, so would humankind. But Hare did not deliver the message correctly; instead, the flighty creature told people only that they would die. When Moon found out what Hare had done she was so angry she attacked him with a hatchet, intending to split him in two. She only succeeded in splitting his lip, however. Hare, angry in turn, lashed out with his claws, scarring Moon’s face, which can still be
seen in the dark shapes on the moon today.
The Treasury of Folklore: Waterlands, Wooded Worlds and Starry Skies is now available now for pre-order, and will be released on 1st August, 2024.
