We’ve all seen the images of witches with their loyal cat or toad by their side. These witches’ familiars help them cast spells, or in the case of Harry Potter, deliver the mail. But what are familiars and why are they so important to ideas around witchcraft? And what unusual familiars can we find in […]
Folklore
What were the three types of water nymphs in ancient Greece?
For the past three weeks we’ve been looking at mythology related to water and the sea. Our final aquatic jaunt will be to meet the three groups of water nymphs in ancient Greece. They are the Naiads, the Nereids, and the Oceanids. Just to make things more complicated, you also have undines. Wikipedia lists naiads, […]
Why do people confuse sirens with mermaids?
There’s been a lot of confusion between sirens and mermaids since the Middle Ages. Many of the images show gorgeous women with fish’s tails. Or creatures with beautiful voices capable of bewitching men. Look at Ariel in The Little Mermaid. But it’s far from their Greek origins. And the siren/mermaid confusion only really starts when […]
Are the mermaids of folklore as vicious as legends suggest?
Mention ‘mermaids’ to most people and they might think of Ariel, the red-headed Little Mermaid of Disney’s 1989 classic. Or, if they’re old enough, they might think of Daryl Hannah in Splash! Or maybe they’ve been keeping up with the casting news for Disney’s live-action remake of The Little Mermaid. Congratulations to Halle Bailey for […]
Are selkies as dangerous as mermaids and sirens?
Selkies appear alongside mermaids and sirens as sea dwelling folk that humans might encounter. But are the selkies as dangerous as their singing counterparts? At the most basic level, selkies are shapeshifters. They take the form of seals in the sea and humans on land. Tales of the selkie appear most often in the Orkney […]
Thomas The Rhymer and His Predilection For Prediction
Wouldn’t it be fantastic to predict the future? Humans have devoted plenty of time to learning the mystic arts. You could read the stars, tarot cards, playing cards, or tea leaves in an attempt to know the future. Or you could listen to the predictions of others, like Thomas the Rhymer and Mother Shipton. Unlike […]
