K is for Kappa Amphibious creatures have always caught the imagination of surface dwellers. The Kappa from Japanese folklore is perhaps the most famous of its kind. Folklore Ancient Tales and Folk-lore of Japan, by Richard Gordon Smith, [1918] The pond was old and deep, covered with water plants, and had never been emptied within …
J is for Jengu If there is a big body of water, stories of merfolk can be found. Folklore The Element Encyclopedia of Fairies by Lucy Cooper An African water spirit in southern Cameroon beliefs, the jengu, dwelling in rivers, streams, and the sea, is a benevolent and healing force who also acts as an intermediary …
I is for Imp The term “imp” is somewhat general and sometimes interchangeable with “fairy” or “demon” – depending on what you’re reading – which causes a lot of confusion as to what an imp really is. Especially since they appear in different tales with strikingly different behaviours, abilities and manifestations. I firmly believe that Thumbelina by …
H is for Half-Mortal We all know that Helen of Troy was supposedly so beautiful that her face was the one to launch a thousand ships. She was a demigod. demigod n a being with partial or lesser divine status, such as a minor deity, the offspring of a god and a mortal, or a …
G is for Goblin Whether you think of any type of magical creature when you hear “goblin” or it makes you think of mischievous, grotesque creatures, goblins have been around for a very long time. Folklore British Goblins Welsh Folk-lore, Fairy Mythology, Legends and Traditions by Wirt Sikes, [1880] The same confusion in outlines which …
F is for Fae The High Fae rule Faerie as they are usually the most powerful of their kind. Some also wish to rule the mortal realm and stir up trouble in their wake. Folklore Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry Edited and Selected by W. B. Yeats, [1888] THE TROOPING FAIRIES. The …
E is for Elementals The idea that every rock, wave, lick of flame and gust of wind has a spirit, a life, of its own has long been part of folklore. Folklore THE SECRET TEACHINGS OF ALL AGES by Manly P. Hall, [1928] The Elements and Their Inhabitants FOR the most comprehensive and lucid exposition …
D is for Dryad Trees coming alive and trees being inhabited by otherworldly beings have long been part of the stories we tell. Folklore BULFINCH’S MYTHOLOGY THE AGE OF FABLE OR STORIES OF GODS AND HEROES by Thomas Bulfinch [1855] The three last named were immortal, but the wood-nymphs, called Dryads or Hamadryads, were believed …
C is for Cat If stretching were wealth, the cat would be rich – African Proverb. Cats appear all over folklore. In superstitions, black cats are seen as unlucky and such. In some folklore they’re seen as soul-stealing monsters. In Ancient Egypt they were the keepers of the dead – guardians to the Underworld (if we’re …
B is for Black Solar eclipses have been seen as messages from the gods — or the work of dark magicians — since forever. Folklore The Golden Bough by Sir James George Frazer, [1922] The Magical Control of the Sun. AS THE MAGICIAN thinks he can make rain, so he fancies he can cause the …
