The Future Folklore of Chernobyl
The effects of the Chernobyl disaster will endure for thousands of years to come. So how will that legacy be understood by future civilisations?
From the Gorgon to the Gift Shop: A Brief Archaeology of the Evil Eye
The matiasma is an apotropaic amulet designed to ward off the evil eye in Greek folklore.
Death Omens: How Well Do You Know Them?
We might all lay claim to some superstitions to guard against bad luck, but an ingrained belief in death omens is another matter.
Animal Folklore: A Mole in the Hand
Today, moles are usually unappreciated residents of our gardens and fields, but they are embedded in folklore and for centuries were used in remedies.
The Green Children of Woolpit: A Medieval Encounter with Aliens, the Fae – or Orphans of War?
In the middle years of the 12th century, two green-skinned children mysteriously appeared in a field in Suffolk. But who or what were they and where did they come from? Theories range from aliens and the Fae to orphans of war and naughty children.