Easter - it’s hard enough trying to work out the date without developing permanent wrinkles by pinning down a deity called Ostara. Or perhaps the name was Eostre, Ostarun, Eastre, Eoastrae, or even Oestre. Seguir leyendo »

And a dreadful thing from the cliff did spring,
and its wild bark thrill’d around,
His eyes had the glow of the fires below,
’twas the form of the spectre hound ..

One of the most chilling omens of death in English folklore is the large, spectral demon dog called Black Shuck. Seguir leyendo »

Poets and story tellers were highly esteemed in the the Anglo-Saxon period of England. They were the historians of the tribe, the chroniclers of society who ensured that everyone remembered the important heroes, the war chiefs, the important battles and the folklore of the tribe. Seguir leyendo »

Sadly, the truth about Trolls is ugly. For they are ugly, malicious creatures who will never be anything but the enemies of mortals. You may read of a Troll here and there who is not quite as spiteful as the rest, you may hear whispers of a Troll who seemed friendly enough to humans, but pay no attention. Trolls are not friendly, they are nasty vicious beings and the only way to treat a Troll is to run .. as fast as you can. And never look back. Seguir leyendo »

A sighting, or rather a hearing, of a banshee signals an impending death. The Banshee usually appears near a river, stream or loch, where she can wash the (possibly blood-stained) clothing of the unfortunate whose death she has come to foretell. Seguir leyendo »

In the Dreamtime, Brolga was the most wonderful dancer the people had ever seen. Her dancing sung the stories of the spirits and the totem, and when she danced the people rejoiced. Seguir leyendo »

Similar to legends of a flood, most cultures share a mythology of the Hare.

Hares are connected with the Moon, fertility, the dawn, witches, madness, cunning and bravery and could symbolise the very essence of life itself. Seguir leyendo »

Just south of Snowdon, in the grey-stoned village of Beddgelert set among the wild mountains of Wales, is the Grave of Gelert. Here, in a beautiful meadow below Cerrig Llan, is a large stone slab lying on its side which owes its fame to the legend of Prince Llewelyn ap Iorwerth and his faithful hound. Seguir leyendo »