Category: Literature
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British and Celtic Dragon Folklore
My first exposure to a dragon drawn from folklore was most likely Smaug, the red-golden dragon in J. R. R. Tolkien’s book The Hobbit. I remember being fascinated by his size, his jewel-encrusted underbelly, and the enormous treasure he guarded. Although he is a fictional creation, the inspiration for Smaug comes from Scandinavian folklore. I laughed…
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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…