The Origins of ‘Touch Wood’: Tree Spirits, The True Cross, or Tag?

Photograph of heavy wooden door with bolt https://pixabay.com/en/door-wood-lock-iron-cast-iron-1672747/

The superstition of ‘touch wood’, or ‘knock on wood’ is still common today, but what was its original source? Madeleine D’Este explores some possibilities.

Supernatural Safeguarding: Hidden Objects in the Post-Medieval Home

Mummified cat found in the roof space of a church in Clifton, Cumbria. Photograph by J. Neild, copyright Keswick Museum (please contact Keswick Museum curator to reproduce image)

What do a child’s shoe, a cod-liver oil bottle, and a desiccated cat have in common? They’re all objects that have been discovered in unusual locations within buildings. In fact, a vast variety of objects have been found (from pantaloons to chickens), often dating to the 18th and 19th centuries, under floorboards, hearthstones, and thresholds; […]

Folklore Festivals: Five Italian Folklore-Filled Weekends in October

Folklore Dancers Performing the Tarantella at Ottobrata Zafferanese © epanto https://www.flickr.com/photos/epanto/6303001780/

Italian festivals offer glimpses of life in a previous time through food, re-enactments and sporting events. These events will satisfy history buffs and foodies alike. PALIO degli ASINI – Race of the Donkeys October 2 – Alba, Piedmont/Piemonte Region, Italy When one thinks of the words “Italy” and “Palio” in the same sentence, it is […]

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