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.
Psychopomps: Tour Guides to the Afterlife
Psychopomps — beings who guide the soul to the afterlife — have long been part of mythology and folklore, ranging from Hermes to Anubis to birds, bees and even children’s story characters.
Tapping the Admiral: Nelson, Trafalgar & the Corpse in the Cask
The phrase “Tapping the Admiral” originates from a piece of folklore surrounding the death of Horatio Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar in October of 1805.
Speaking to the Dead: Necromancy in Magic and Folklore
So, what is necromancy and what does it have to do with folklore? Come with me, and let’s enter the peculiar world of death divination…
The Soul that Swam: Yet More Stories My Parents Tell Me
My parents tell me a few last family legends, and I contemplate on how these stories might change in the telling. “This happened to your lolo [my paternal grandfather] as a young man, before he got married,” Dad said. “It was when he was in Cagayan de Oro.” My grandfather was a priest with the […]