How to use rowan to protect your house (and livestock)
Rowan is a popular tree for protection against witchcraft and fairies. You often find its wood or branches being used in building work, or even to haul enchanted people out of fairy rings! How did pe...
7 Nov 202015min
Halloween Fiction: Icy Reads 'The Dead-House'
Earlier today I published an episode about the folklore of the dead house. I wrote a short story inspired by this folklore, which you can now find in my Black Dog & Other Gothic Tales collection. H...
31 Okt 202022min
The Folklore and Ghosts of the Dead House
The dead house was a common occurrence in the days before refrigerated mortuaries. People stored bodies at the graveyard in the dead house prior to a regular burial, and the authorities kept the dea...
31 Okt 202018min
Meet Charon: the legendary ferryman of Greek myth!
Charon, the ancient ferryman of Greek myth, is one of those figures that pops up even where other deities get ignored or forgotten. Sometimes people simply call him ‘the ferryman’ and he loses his nam...
24 Okt 202017min
Why Is The Fetch Seen As A Death Omen in Irish Folklore?
The fetch appears in folklore as an apparition seen when another is apparently dead or dying. But what is it? Is it always a death omen? And why do people keep seeing them even now? Find out in th...
17 Okt 202017min
Why is the Bean Nighe seen as an omen of death in folklore?
You've probably heard about the banshee, announcing deaths with her keening cry. But what of the 'washerwoman of the ford', the Bean Nighe? She haunts rivers and pools in Scotland and Ireland. But wh...
10 Okt 202016min
Autumn Superstitions: Conkers, Roses, and Falling Leaves
The 'season of mists and mellow fruitfulness' is upon us again! It's a time of harvest, and watching the natural world prepare for sleep. In days gone by, autumn was also a time to prepare for the h...
3 Okt 202017min
Why did these 3 hybrid mythical beasts fall out of fashion?
Not all mythological creatures are as popular as the unicorn or dragon. Some of the more strange hybrid mythical beasts, like the manticore, Chimera, and cockatrice, have faded from art and literatu...
26 Sep 202020min
