Imagine this: You are a fair damsel, married to a local lord, a baron knight. Unlike many another fairy tale husband, yours is handsome and kind, and… Read more “Werewolf Romance, 12th Century Style: Bisclavret”
Category: Folklore and Fairytale
Chang’e and the Mid-Autumn Festival: Apollo 11 and the Bunny Girl cover up
As with so many of the myths and folktales that we’ve discussed, this tale has many variants; it also has several players, so it probably behooves me… Read more “Chang’e and the Mid-Autumn Festival: Apollo 11 and the Bunny Girl cover up”
Born from the Flames: Salamander Mythology
Despite the visual resemblance to lizards, salamanders (also known as newts) are classified as amphibians, sharing tadpole stages and skin respiration with their close cousins, frogs and… Read more “Born from the Flames: Salamander Mythology”
An Impossible Idiom: Pulling Yourself Up by the Bootstraps
Have you ever had the misfortune of being told by a potentially well intentioned, but certainly misguided, individual that: “you need to pull yourself up by your… Read more “An Impossible Idiom: Pulling Yourself Up by the Bootstraps”
Snow White: Age is More Than Just a Number
Snow White is one of the staples of the modern fairytale cannon, and as a feminist, I would not be the first to take umbrage with some… Read more “Snow White: Age is More Than Just a Number”
Gods of the Week: Pax Romana
The Romans were very good at spreading their Empire; part of their efficacy was in allowing their new occupied territories to retain their own cultural and spiritual… Read more “Gods of the Week: Pax Romana”
Li Ban, The Mermaid Saint.
Like the famous Scottish Loch Ness, Ireland’s largest freshwater lake, Lough Neagh, had a mythological creature of its own – a mermaid known as Li Ban. However,… Read more “Li Ban, The Mermaid Saint.”
Happy New Years! From Sumeria to Lemon Pigs
Looking for some age-old traditions to ring in the (Western) New Year on Jan 1st? Many people don’t realize that the Jan 1st date is a relatively… Read more “Happy New Years! From Sumeria to Lemon Pigs”
The Magi: Bones and All
Christian or not, it’s hard to escape the imagery of the Three Magi coming to anoint the baby Jesus. From nativity scenes to the Feast of the… Read more “The Magi: Bones and All”
The Rounder the Belly, the Harder it is to Slit! Beware Frau Perchta
Frau Perchta is a folkloric figure from the Alpine region, one that rewards the good and punishes the bad around Winter festival time. Like most folkloric figures,… Read more “The Rounder the Belly, the Harder it is to Slit! Beware Frau Perchta”