The Land of Cockaygne was a fictional land of plenty popularized in the Middle Ages throughout the European continent. It was described as a magical utopia where… Read more “Cockaygne- A Paradise of Wine and Cheese”
Category: Folklore and Fairytale
Cotton Mather, Bridgette Bishop and the Witches of Salem: Give a God Man Power…
Imagine this: the year is 1692 A.D., and you are a very spry 60 year old who goes by the name of Bridgette. Along with your third… Read more “Cotton Mather, Bridgette Bishop and the Witches of Salem: Give a God Man Power…”
Facing the Grimm Truth: The Women Who Sang
The Brothers Grimm are synonymous with folklore; writing in the 1800s, and seeking to unify the very disjointed 200-odd German provinces, they collected the stories of the… Read more “Facing the Grimm Truth: The Women Who Sang”
In the Dead of Winter, Come the Kallikantzaros: The Tree Will Stand
This post deals with the Kallikantzaros, mythical creatures who are determined to cut down the Tree of Life, and harass humans for 12 long Winter days and nights.
Rhyme or Die: The Blue Men of the Minch
Imagine this: You are captaining a vessel northward along the Coast of the Scottish Highlands. To your west are a cluster of islands known as the Outer… Read more “Rhyme or Die: The Blue Men of the Minch”
Bite Me. The Myth of Vagina Dentata
Mythcrafts first full length book is out now on Amazon everywhere, and to celebrate we have dropped a preview here: Bite Me. The Myth of Vagina Dentata… Read more “Bite Me. The Myth of Vagina Dentata”
Jim the Wonder Dog! Because…People?
On a recent trip to see friends in Missouri, I challenged them to give me a bit of local folklore… This is what they, dear reader, gave… Read more “Jim the Wonder Dog! Because…People?”
Don’t Order the Fish: The Mermaid and the 800 Year-Old Nun
Imagine this: The place is Japan; the time is pre-10th century C.E., and you have a friend. A friend who’s a fisherman. Having a friend who’s a… Read more “Don’t Order the Fish: The Mermaid and the 800 Year-Old Nun”
Bake-Danuki: Mocked by the Japanese Racoon Dogs
Our mythologies are littered with malicious spirits and malcontent, sometimes murderous monsters. This is understandable, because life can often be terrible; the horrors of the day revisit… Read more “Bake-Danuki: Mocked by the Japanese Racoon Dogs”
Chief of Chiefs and the Mardi Gras Indians: Art Trumps Violence
Imagine this: generations ago, your ancestors were bought and sold into slavery and sent to a new world, a new world where all memories of the past… Read more “Chief of Chiefs and the Mardi Gras Indians: Art Trumps Violence”