What does it mean if you see a white deer in the woods? Lisa Schneidau explores the folklore and folk

Ireland has at least 3,000 wells that are, or were at least up until recently, looked upon as holy or

Birds of the crow family have long been heralds of doom and devastation. They destroy crops, devour corpses, act as

The Chime Child is one of the most enchanting books I know. It begins with the rustle of autumn deep

Why do folktales still charm us? They hold ancient wisdom, ceremonies and life lessons but they also unravel old rituals

Jánošík, a young outlaw with braided hair, carrying a shepherd’s axe called valaška, and wearing rural clothing, is the unlikely

A brilliant professor once told us that desire always lurks at the heart of Arthurian legends. Desire for glory, for

From Macbeth’s castle in the Scottish Highlands to the shores of Hampshire, Britain has many haunted castles that go bump

Animals played an important part in the everyday life of the ancients Celts. In Celtic mythology the lives of

The first witch of Western literature, Circe lived what appears to be an idyllic, solitary life on the island of

Tolkien describes the Old Forest, a space filled with deep-rooted mysteries and danger in Middle-earth. Although, this takes place in

Nearly everyone has a lucky number. It may well be seven but all the numbers associated with luck – and

Galeej, a youth hailing from a low caste, got married to a woman of the same caste and equal status.

We’ve got many different characters in Brazilian Folkcloric scene and they are related to all aspects of the land, weather,

The folklore stories of Anansi the Spider originate from the Asante people of Ghana and has orally been passed down

Each morning the sun rolls across the sky. In Estonia it was the hatched egg of the enchanted swallow bird,

Mark Norman explores the folklore of bees and beekeeping in his new book, 'Telling the Bees and Other Customs: The

The rare and elusive, mythical, magical unicorn has been part of world folklore and legend for centuries, evolving spectacularly into

Digital Literacy refers to the ability and competence of individuals to research, evaluate and compose clear information through writing and

An old Russian fairy tale brings us food for thought in these challenging times. Lisa Schneidau explores the mysterious story

‘Snow-White & Rose Red’ is a literary tale, adapted by Wilhelm Grimm from a short story ‘The Ungrateful Dwarf’, written

In Cork, on May morning before sunrise, a person went out and brought back a branch of hazel, holly and

There's something about the concept of a poison garden that either titillates or terrifies, depending on your preferences. The UK's

This article is about clowns. If you have clourophobia you might want to look away now. Not many forms of

Shell grottos have a certain murky ambiguity to their history and folklore. This for me made them all the more

Scotland is one of the few nations to have chosen a mythological creature rather than a real one as her

Easter customs of old were many and varied but who would have expected so many of them to be nothing

The Mabinogion is a mess of misconstrued mythology, a minefield of mistranslation and misinterpretations. It’s also the font of all

If a bouquet of flowers arrives at our door, we’re more interested in who sent them. The Victorians were more

I first caught the perfume of my wild twin by walking with muddy boots through wet grasses to my scrubby

Mother goddesses are present in all kinds of mythology around the world. They all bring the archetypical mother qualities: giving

Some people believe cats to be superior beings who carefully train their humans to provide for their needs. Presented

This article examines the proposition “Does the law protect folklore?” by examining the legal models and processes to protect the

Since the beginnings of human civilization, seeds have been revered for their gift of life. How we treat them in

By their very nature saints are exceptional beings and none more so than the select few female saints. These were

While less well known than their priestly counterparts, German folklore also had plenty of "secular" exorcists who resorted to magic

Lack of academic funding has marginalised the study of folklore in comparison to other disciplines and to our own colleagues

The most famous wolf myth is the one of Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome. The story has evolved

As Valentine’s Day comes around, spare a passing thought for that ubiquitous red heart that has come to symbolize the

Brazil is full of folklore, myths and superstitions. Here in Brazil, we’ve got a fascinating and complex collection of stories