Category: Faeries
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The Dun Cow and Other “Cows of Abundance” in the British Isles
I’ve always been fascinated by cows. When I was a kid, we would visit my aunt and uncle’s ranch in Oregon for a few weeks each summer. They raised cattle, and I loved to walk out in the fields to look at the cows. On one trip, I went walking along the road that bordered…
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How Work Songs Improved Daily Life in Ireland and Scotland
During the nineteenth century, folk songs were a vital part of daily life in Ireland and Scotland. Integrated into both work and play, songs eased the burden of chores and encouraged social interaction within a community. In Old Irish Folk Music and Songs: A Collection of 842 Irish Airs and Songs Hitherto Unpublished, P. W. Joyce describes…
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Collecting Folklore Wasn’t Always Easy for the Early Folklorists
One of the first books of folklore that I added to my collection was Celtic Folklore: Welsh and Manx by John Rhŷs. It is a two-volume study, and toward the end of the book (in volume 2) Rhŷs includes a chapter called “Difficulties of the Folklorist.” In it he describes challenges he often faced while collecting folklore…
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An Introduction to Irish Faerie Folklore
A friend from writing group recently lent me a book of Irish folklore. (Thanks, Marianne!) It’s called The Leprechaun’s Kingdom: The World of Banshees, Fairies, Giants, Monsters, Mermaids, Phoukas, Vampires, Werewolves, Witches, and Many Others by Peter Haining. While the cover suggests that it might contain children’s stories, it is more of an illustrated folklore encyclopedia of…
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Owl Folklore, Blodeuwedd, and the Concept of Transformation
When I began researching this topic, I initially planned to explore owl folklore as a way to discuss a folktale referenced by the character Ophelia in Shakespeare’s Hamlet. But once I started taking notes, I discovered that I what I wished to share with you would be too much for a single post. So I’ve decided…
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Four-Leaf Clover Uses in Faerie Folklore and Love Divination
Central to the plot of a short story that I’ve been revising is a four-leaf clover found by the main character after searching through a clover patch. I can remember sitting in the grass as a child, sifting through clover leaves and blossoms, hunting for a magical four-leaf clover with which I could make a…
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Spinning With the Faeries: Folktales Connected to the Craft
When choosing a folklore topic each month, I find that inspiration comes from many sources. Sometimes it stems from something I read in a folklore book or journal article. Or perhaps I might encounter something of note while performing research for my creative writing. But this time, the internet browser suggested an article to me…
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British Folklore and Customs Related to the Sycamore Tree
Are you a lover of trees, by chance? I am! Here in Southern California, where we are now fully into autumn, many trees are changing colors with the season. My favorite is the California sycamore tree (Platanus racemosa). The wilderness area near our home where I like to walk is heavily wooded with sycamore trees,…
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An Overview of How Faeries Were Portrayed During Different Literary Periods
There are many different ways to experience faerie folklore: through shared oral tradition, by reading tales collected by folklorists, and via its inclusion in literature, art, and even science. I find the interchange between folklore and creative endeavors fascinating, so I thought we’d explore how faerie folklore was incorporated into literature during different literary periods.…
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Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Inspired by Faerie Folklore
For the novel I’m working on, I’ve been incorporating faerie folklore into the plot, characters, and worldbuilding. There are many different ways a writer might draw from folklore—by adapting tales to create a new story, by using folklore motifs to deepen the plot, by incorporating folkloric creatures as characters—the possibilities are endless. Shakespeare and Faerie…