Exploring Folklore
Want to learn more about folklore?
These posts cover a variety of folklore topics and come from my newsletter, Notes on Writing Folklore-Inspired Fiction. I have gathered them here as a reference archive. Sign up for my newsletter to receive mini explorations into folklore direct to your inbox.
For an alphabetical list of folklore topics included in the archive, please use the drop-down list below:
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The Legend of the Afanc: A Welsh River Monster
In Welsh folklore, the afanc is often described as a type of river monster. Depending on the legend or tradition, the afanc may take the form of an enormous beaver, a monstrous crocodile, or a worm (dragon). The word afanc appears to have changed meanings over time as well, which may account for the different versions of the creature. The more…
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The Magical Birds of Rhiannon
The birds of Rhiannon are magical birds referenced in the Mabinogion, a collection of medieval Welsh tales. As their name implies, these birds are linked to Rhiannon, an otherworldly woman who plays a prominent role in the Mabinogion. A Brief Description of the Mabinogion The Mabinogion includes eleven Welsh tales that originally appeared in two manuscripts: the White Book…
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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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Welsh Ghosts With Unfinished Business: A Helpful Guide
We’re continuing with our two-part series on Welsh ghost folklore. In June, we looked into the history of collecting ghost folklore in Wales. This month, we’ll explore the characteristics of Welsh ghosts with unfinished business here in the mortal world. We’ll also look at a spirit sighting account of the same nature in order to…
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Some History on Collecting Ghost Folklore in Wales
I was looking back through past posts, and I believe the only Welsh ghost folklore we’ve delved into are the Cŵn Annwn, which are spectral dogs that also serve as death omens. Yet within Welsh ghostlore there are many different types of spectres. For example, there are tales involving the ghosts of departed mortals, the spirits of…
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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…
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Nursery Bogies: Folkloric Creatures that Influenced Behavior in Children
Over the centuries, stories of frightening characters have been used to scare children into following the rules and keep them out of dangerous situations. These type of monsters and folkloric creatures are known as nursery bogies. They embody a variety of different character types—from mischievous to terrifying to even dangerous. On the whole, they were…
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The Noson Weu: Bringing Together Knitting and Folk Tales
Are you a knitter? Or perhaps you like to crochet? My maternal grandmother taught me how to crochet a chain when I was young, but that was about as advanced as I got. I do remember that she and my great-grandmother crocheted blankets—some they kept, some they gave to family, and some they sold. I…
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The Unicorn Rests in a Garden as Part of the Hunt for the Unicorn Tapestries
The tapestry known as The Unicorn Rests in a Garden has fascinated me for much of my life. A print of it hung on the wall of my childhood bedroom, and I remember spending a great deal of time examining the flowers, admiring the unicorn, and wondering what the letters “A” and “E” meant. I lost track…