Most people know that rice is a prevalent food in Japan. But apart from being a source of nutrition, rice also has cultural and folkloric significance attached to it. New Year Mochi Much of Japan's folklore is based on the concept of animism, due to the ancient Shinto belief that every object has a spirit. This... Continue Reading →
I feel a close affinity with deer. They can be timid creatures, and this lends them an almost mythical reputation in some places. The elusive deer, somewhere in the woods, quiet and unseen. Maybe watching you. No harm in that. Just watching, and then slipping away. Yet underneath that timidness they hold wisdom, and strength. They... Continue Reading →
Imagine going to boil some water, but your kettle transforms into a raccoon and runs away. Or turning a light on, to find your paper lampshade grinning at you and waggling a long tongue. You might have a spirit problem, but these are no ordinary poltergeists. Meet the tsukumogami. Tsukumogami (付喪神) is the collective name given to a type of... Continue Reading →
Imbolc (pronounced 'EE-muk' or 'IM-bulk') falls on the 2nd February. It is the Pagan equivalent of the Christian Candlemas, and similarly it is also a festival of lights. Imbolc marks the return of the Goddess after her journey to the underworld. With her comes the first signs of Spring - the evenings are slowly becoming lighter,... Continue Reading →
Today, Halloween is seen as a time to munch on candy corn and scare the neighbours with the freakiest trick you can find. A time when pumpkins with terrifying faces lurk on porches, and spider webs, black cats and witches are everywhere you look. But why is it that Halloween is associated with being scary? And... Continue Reading →
Most of us can probably remember being told as a child 'don't do that or the [insert monster here] will get you!' Growing up in Norfolk, for me that monster was Black Shuck. Norfolk is a place of marshes, big skies, and lonely beaches. Shells of broken windmills stand in the perpetual wind from the North Sea, which... Continue Reading →
When we read fairy tales and legends we tend to think of them as archaic beliefs that our modern, intellectual society has left far behind. Yet even in this scientific and technological age, there are supernatural characters that are still presented to children as real. Especially at this time of year, I'm fascinated by this... Continue Reading →
Something odd happened to Britain in the 1970's. The hippie movement was turning sour. Scientists furthered new environmental research and people began looking inward to their country surroundings. Urban sprawls butted against farmland, creating unsettling, unfamiliar spaces, and there was a surge of interest in dark folklore of the British Isles. The mantras of peace and love were... Continue Reading →
In the East of England, there is a Medieval city composed of cobbled streets, secret gardens, and flint churches. Its castle stands on a hill, one of the only ones in the region, for we are deep in big-sky country. If you go left, you will find yourself in Chapelfield, a gleaming, glass shopping centre... Continue Reading →
Proudly powered by WordPress | Theme: Baskerville 2 by Anders Noren.
