Yew Trees: Death, Churchyards, and Helpful Tools
Back in November 2020, I explored the folklore of the yew tree; specifically, the common yew, or English yew (Taxus baccata). Yes, it's a poisonous tree. Yes, it's linked with death. And yes, people ...
14 Mar 19min
The London Plane: A Tree Suited to City Life
Periodically, I choose a plant, tree or fungus to explore, only to find there is very little folklore about them. Invariably, there are two reasons for this. First, the plant, tree or fungus has littl...
7 Mar 18min
Childhood Games: Classics, Crazes and the Occult in the Playground
In January, I asked people if they wanted to share any children’s folklore as part of my February theme. As a branch of study, this largely refers to folklore created, shared, and maintained by childr...
28 Feb 30min
Dolls and Doll Magick with Najah Lightfoot
Najah Lightfoot is the multi award-winning author and regular contributor to the Llewellyn annuals. Najah’s magickal staff is on display and part of the permanent collection of the Buckland Museum of ...
25 Feb 57min
Children's Beliefs: Superstitions, Luck, and the Brenin Lwyd
In January, I asked people if they wanted to share any children’s folklore as part of my February theme. As a branch of study, this largely refers to folklore created, shared, and maintained by childr...
21 Feb 29min
Urban Legends among Children: Clowns, Insects, and Ice Shards
In January, I asked people if they wanted to share any children’s folklore as part of my February theme. As a branch of study, this largely refers to folklore created, shared, and maintained by childr...
14 Feb 22min
Trolls as Toys and Figures from Folklore
Some toy trends make sense, like the fascination with Lego or even Barbie-mania, which naturally enjoyed the boost from the 2023 film. The fad for trolls, however, doesn't immediately make sense. Thes...
7 Feb 22min
Ralph Hedley: Painter of North East Scenes and the Working Class
The arts remain one of the best ways to preserve culture in a way that people can interact with. Literature, folk music, and art, among others, allow us to experience culture, even secondhand, using t...
31 Jan 30min
