A friend has been writing an assignment on Dionysus. The Hellenistic God of booze and questionable life choices. I found her enthusiasm for the subject infectious and it has led to a lot of discussion, debate and reading. I also mentioned in my post on Camulos that in particular Gods of war often come in… Continue reading Aspects of the Gods
Category: Folklore, Myth and Legend
Poetry: Words of the Gods
Words have power. This seems to be a universal truth that transcends culture and time. George the Poet said in his podcast that “nothing is ever said without reason, even if it’s a lie”. Words are important and they convey meaning, not just meaning intended. This is particularly evident in what we know of the… Continue reading Poetry: Words of the Gods
The Lady and the Asp
The old man sits at his desk, frowning in concentration. The candlelight throws shadows into into his wrinkled skin, giving him a statuesque appearance. At last, he sighs, relaxes his face, and dips his pen into the inkwell. For better or worse it is a story that should be told. In 1850 I was newly… Continue reading The Lady and the Asp
Strigoi: Fear not this night.
In a remote village in the hills of Romania a young boy hides under the covers of his bed, the bright moonlight and trees cast gruesome and terrifying shadows against his bedroom wall. His grandfather’s stories of dragons and demons race through his mind. He takes a deep breath and rallies his courage, and then… Continue reading Strigoi: Fear not this night.
Exorcism: The Ghost of Dorothy Durant
Every now and then I come across a folktale that should be chilling but as I progress logic takes over and it gets reduced to merely silly. More than once I have laughed until it hurt over ghost stories that have reduced others to tears. There are two reasons for this, firstly my treacherous brain… Continue reading Exorcism: The Ghost of Dorothy Durant
Witches: By the pricking of my thumbs.
Halloween may be over for another year however I thought I would wrap up my spooky and folklore themed posts with some witch related information that I found interesting. Matthew Hopkins During a period referred to as the “English Civil War” one man was driving the search for, and execution of witches in England. During… Continue reading Witches: By the pricking of my thumbs.
Ankow: Don’t fear the reaper
One of the oldest surviving legends from the Brythonic world tells of a being called the Ankow. This is its Cornish name, the Normans and Bretons(Brittany) know it as Ankou. A skeletal figure that collects and guides the souls of the dead. It is often depicted wearing a wide brimmed hat and carrying a scythe.… Continue reading Ankow: Don’t fear the reaper
Korrigan: White Deer
Humans have always tried to explain away what they do not know with a supernatural answer. We are a species that are tied to each other and to the land through our oral tradition. Exploring our myths and legends can tell us a lot about a culture and sometime offer us a connection through them… Continue reading Korrigan: White Deer
Pwyll of Dyved: Legend One
I’m slowly working my way back through the Mabinogion, because who doesn’t love medieval Welsh literature? I actually found myself chuckling at this light hearted tale of sexual exploitation, violent extortion and the total deception of two nations. Pwyll was the Prince of Dyved, one day he decided to go for a hunt so he rode… Continue reading Pwyll of Dyved: Legend One