Tag: folklore
-
The Mercy of Forests
Written by Megan Crutchley. What has the role of forest been in folklore? Megan Crutchley examines it as a place of mercy and magic in relation to Greek and German myths and folktales.
-
The Last Wolf in the UK
Written by Megan Crutchley. The lore of the wolf has always had an integral connection to British folklore and mythology, but where did these ideas and connections arise?
-
Groundhog Day: The Pride of Punxsutawney
Written by Sam Marks. What is Groundhog Day? Sam Marks discusses the customs and origins of the folklore of the peculiar North American holiday
-
A Need for Belief: The Victorians and Fairies.
Written by Megan Crutchely. British folklore has always contained detailed tales of fairies and the otherworld. But how have these beliefs developed and changed, particularly in the Victorian period?
-
‘Are you a witch or are you a fairy? Or are you the wife of Michael Cleary?’ The Consequences of Belief and Superstition
Written by Melissa Kane. The story of the Tipperary Witchcraft case has caused alarm and intrigue for centuries, but why do we find this horrific tale so interesting? And why has it become synonymous with Irish folklore?
-
Book Review: A Bell and the Power of Karma
Written by Rocco Astore. Folklore, or a set of customary stories belonging to a specific culture, has contributed to the way that people understand and interpret the world. Within this piece, I will first give a brief summary of the Japanese myth A Bell and the Power of Karma. I will then give a short…
-
Fertility in the Early Middle Ages: The Dangers of Folklore
What did an early medieval bishop see when he looked up at the stars? In tenth-century Italy Atto of Vercelli saw divine fingerprints. God had arranged constellations in the heavens, he explained in a sermon, for our benefit on earth. Stars help us to mark the passing of time, to map journeys over sea or…
Retrospect Journal 