First, I’m taking a Charles Fort stance here: I’m not advocating the existence of Yetis, Bigfeet, or any other so-called Cryptids (i.e., unidentified semi-mythic creatures, including the… Read more “Cryptid Wars: Yeti Vs. Big Foot”
Category: Folktales
Faceless: The Noppera-bō
Author’s note: I’ve added details of my own to this Japanese Folktale/Ghost Story, however the underlying plot elements (the lazy fisherman, his wife, the scared fisherman, the… Read more “Faceless: The Noppera-bō”
Hog Man and the Flying Vagina
In Hawaiian mythology lives a half-man half-hog known as Kamapua’a. Kamapua’a is the chief of Oahu and a Demi-god associated with fertility and agriculture. His snout was… Read more “Hog Man and the Flying Vagina”
Such Is Life: Wild Ned Kelly
Not everyone likes this man. He killed more than his fair share of humans, mostly police. Hero? Maybe not. Legend? Arguably… * Here’s an opinion from a… Read more “Such Is Life: Wild Ned Kelly”
Post-Industrial Folklore Beasties: Knockers and Gremlins
We are a technological species; we may or may not be smarter than the other mammals still hanging on, but we’ve definitely left a physical mark on… Read more “Post-Industrial Folklore Beasties: Knockers and Gremlins”
Catfish and Earthquake Predictions; the Mythology of Namazu.
In Japanese mythology lives a giant catfish, Namazu. For thousands of years, he swum around in the underground rivers and lakes that ran beneath the earth, but… Read more “Catfish and Earthquake Predictions; the Mythology of Namazu.”
Dancing for the Queen of the Fairies: Doamna Zînelor and the Călușari
Romania is home to many a folk creature; vampires, werewolves, wizards and dragons have all been known to haunt the Romanian countryside. Not to mention fairies, and… Read more “Dancing for the Queen of the Fairies: Doamna Zînelor and the Călușari”
Out of the Water, Into the Woods: 2 more Tales of Longnu, the Dragon King’s Daughter
As we saw the last time, Longnü made her first appearance in a Buddhist Sutra, the Lotus Flower. In that text, she was transformed by the Buddha… Read more “Out of the Water, Into the Woods: 2 more Tales of Longnu, the Dragon King’s Daughter”
The Dragon King’s Daughter: 3 Tales of Longnü, Story 1
Longnü is a character that makes three notable appearances in Buddhism; the first is in a defining Buddhist text, the Lotus Sutra, while the other two come… Read more “The Dragon King’s Daughter: 3 Tales of Longnü, Story 1”
Lady Triệu – A Legend of the Vietnamese Resistance Movement
Triệu Thị Trinh was born in the Nông Cống district of Vietnam in 226, a time where the Chinese occupied much of Vietnam, persecuting the native inhabitants… Read more “Lady Triệu – A Legend of the Vietnamese Resistance Movement”