Few flowers brighten a garden quite the same way as the fuchsia. The beautiful pendants come in a range of colours, though my favourites are the deep, dark pink variety. While I’ve often focused on toxic flowers such as foxgloves or daffodils, this humble plant comes with a few of its own folktales. Some believe […]
Folklore
What Is the Celtic Zodiac and How Do You Know Your Sign?
Most people are pretty familiar with the concept of astrology, even if they think it’s hogwash. And many know about the Chinese Zodiac. But what of other forms of astrology, like the Celtic Zodiac? Last week, I posted about seahorses in folklore. Turns out the seahorse represents a birth month in the Celtic Zodiac. Over […]
What are the links between seahorses, folklore and Newcastle upon Tyne?
Seahorses are elusive creatures, almost like a mythological animal made flesh. They appear in Roman and Greek mythology, pulling either Neptune or Poseidon’s chariot. Either Poseidon was very small, or he had extra large seahorses, but it’s a cool image all the same. Others believe Poseidon actually rode a seahorse, which is even cooler. Their […]
Between Worlds: Folklore and Fairy Tales from Northern Britain (Review)
Northern Britain is a strange place. England’s northernmost counties, Northumberland and Cumbria, sit along the border with Scotland. Land in both counties has been both Scottish and English throughout the years. Hadrian’s Wall once marked the boundary with Scotland. It now cuts through Newcastle upon Tyne to end in Wallsend. Such places nudge up against […]
Where do our weird Halloween customs come from?
Halloween is almost upon us. In the US, families will decorate their gardens and turn their homes into haunted houses. In the UK, lots of people will turn off the lights and pretend to be out when little kids come to call. Don’t get me start on the plethora of ‘sexy’ costumes we’ll see this […]
Did the Devil stop Vivaldi creating his greatest masterpiece?
Few names are as synonymous with the great city of Venice as that of Antonio Vivaldi. The composer, best known for The Four Seasons, lived here from his birth in 1678 until his death in 1741. But was the composer touched by infernal hands? Our investigation today leads us into the shadowy realm of the […]
