The Barguest: Demon Dog, Silly Sprite or Spectral Hound?
The barguest is a fascinating creature, most often found in the folklore of northern England. In many tales, the barguest was most popularly a death omen. In a most fitting way, Sir Walter Scott thou...
14 Touko 202218min
The Northumberland Silky: Mischievous Fairy or Lonely Ghost?
Many lonely and remote parts of the British Isles echo with tales of local spirits. Whether they're fairies, remnants of older mythologies, ghosts, or Land Spirits decked out in another guise, their s...
7 Touko 202223min
Cider Folklore: Wassailing and the Apple Tree Man
Cider has a long history, especially here in Britain. When the Romans arrived in Britain, they discovered the locals drinking a beverage made from apples. It wasn't quite cider yet, and no one knows h...
30 Huhti 202215min
Meeting The Devil's Drink: Coffee Folklore in Legend and Ritual
Coffee is an incredibly popular drink all over the world. Director David Lynch reportedly said, "Even a bad cup of coffee is better than no coffee at all". From Ethiopia to Yemen, and then on into Eu...
23 Huhti 202221min
Wine and Witchcraft: A Beverage fit for Apotropaic Success
Like beer, wine has enjoyed a long and prosperous history. It's been enjoyed by the ancients, used as a safe alternative to water, prescribed as medicine, and offered in ritual. And like beer, wine al...
16 Huhti 202221min
The Folklore of Tea: Magic, Predictions and Poison
The folklore of tea is woven through the history of this fascinating plant. Well-known for its use in fortune-telling, through reading tea leaves, it also has a range of magickal uses and appears in m...
9 Huhti 202222min
The Legends and Folklore of Beer: Remedies, Witches & Saints
Beer is a popular drink in many parts of the world. In the US, it's the most popular alcoholic beverage. Throughout the centuries, beer becomes the drink of choice in eras and places where drinking wa...
2 Huhti 202220min
The Lily and the Lady: Plants of Purity and Protection
There are few flowers quite as recognisable as the lily. Yet despite its beauty, the lily is a toxic plant. In some ways, this goes to show the contradictory nature of the flower, used in both bridal ...
26 Maalis 202218min
