Exploring Folklore
Want to learn more about folklore?
These posts come from the “Exploring Folklore” section of my newsletter, Notes on Writing Folklore-Inspired Fiction. (Posts are published to my website after the newsletter is sent out, but are dated to match the newsletter date.) If you enjoy my blog posts, you might like my newsletter. It delivers folklore and writing updates straight to your inbox.
For a list of general folklore topics included in the blog, please use the category drop-down list below:
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The Tradition of Welsh Lovespoons
A Welsh lovespoon is a decorative spoon carved from a single piece of wood (a common choice of wood being sycamore). In the past, a male suitor would carve a lovespoon with his romantic interest in mind. He used simple tools, like a small knife, to craft not only the spoon, but also intricate designs
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What is Folklore?
As I perform research for my various writing projects, I realize that I tend to think of folklore as legends and myths pertaining to the past. I also gravitate toward folklore presented within stories and tales because that is how it was first introduced to me. Yet there is a timeless quality to folklore. Folklorists
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A Tale of Petrified Lovers
Petrification (when organic matter is turned to stone) is a common theme in folklore. Stories concerning petrification date back to ancient times and can be found in many different cultures. In some tales, petrification is caused by otherworldly or mythological beings, or can be a result of a consequence or punishment. Other times, the stories