Bats have always been the subject of scary stories. They are strange creatures, neither animal or bird – but something from a nightmare realm. And their stories can be found in ever culture, most likely due to their world domination – they can be found everywhere but for the iciest places on Earth. But are …
I’ve always thought of monkeys as mischievous. And looking at folklore, it seems that I’m right. Folktales and Folklore of Monkeys from Around the World The Forest in Folklore and Mythology by Alexander Porteous [1928], p147 In the forests of Brazil a lame Demon leads the hunter astray. In these forests, as in all other …
I did a post about the enchanted forest a few years ago on my old site, but decided to give it a complete rewrite and new title. The Lure of Enchanted Forests in Folklore, Fairy Tales and Fiction Forests can enchant and enthrall if we’re not careful. Folklore, folktales and fairy tales have tried to …
One of my favourite faeries to use in my writing – sometimes just popping up in a story without forethought! – is the will-o’-the-wisp. Folklore Most faeries with fiery appearances and a tendency to lead night-time travellers astray are categorised as “will-o’-the-wisp”, which is why there are so many differing names for something that seems …
Last week we looked at what I write: Dark Fantasy. This week we’re looking at what features in my writing. Once upon a time I wrote about what folklore is and why folklore is important. I wrote about how we embrace it in our Disney movies and young adult novels – disguised as fairy tales. …
Honestly, I have no idea what the difference between a raven and a crow is. To me, they are beautiful black birds. According to the Collins English dictionary: crow n 1 any large gregarious songbird of the genus Corvus, esp C. corone (the carrion crow) of Europe and Asia: family Corvidae. Other species are the …
The image of the winged horse has been iconic in fiction of all kinds since forever. Some have mixed it with the image of the unicorn (see more below). Some have turned the winged horse into a subspecies of mythical creature. But the original winged horse, feathers and all, comes from Greek Mythology. (We’ll look …
I decided to do a bit of research on Japanese folklore creatures (yokai). My favourite among these, and regularly confused with each other, is Yuki Onna and Tsurara Onna. Tsurara Onna is the Icicle Woman and Yuki Onna is the Snow Woman. Enjoy! Folklore about Yuki Onna and Tsurara Onna KWAIDAN: Stories and Studies of …
There are many ways to answer this question and to look at this topic. I’m going to take a go at it from a writer’s perspective. According to the Collins English Dictionary:Folklore n 1 the unwritten literature of a people as expressed in folk tales, proverbs, riddles, songs, etc. 2 the body of stories and …
Everyone always talks about having a muse to help them with their artistic endeavours. Yeah, some muses are a little trickier with what they want out of the deal than others. Today we’re looking at the Leannan Sìth. Leannan Sìth in Folklore Survivals in Belief Among the Celts by George Henderson [1911] The forester was …
