Artwork of frogs or toads dancing. Moon. Flower.
According to a Flemish folktale, a woman went to the market with a basket full of eggs. Along the way, she spoke ill of another woman who was known to be a witch. The eggs in her basket changed into toads.
🎨Teagan White
#WyrdWednesday
A woodcut showing a witch summoning a demon out to sea, while a large ship sails behind her.
Some sea-faring people believe that if you don’t break the shell after cracking open an egg, a witch might steal the shell and use it as a boat, then sail out to sea and summon a powerful storm!
#WyrdWednesday
🎨 from the Wellcome Collection
The Irish word for fairy is sheehogue [sidheogl, a diminutive of 'shee' in banshee. Fairies are deenee shee [daoine sidhe] (fairy people)
~W.B. Yeats
Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry
🎨 John Atkinson Grimshaw (1879)
#BookologyThursday
Painting of a deer in the forest at night.
In a Flemish folktale, a woman who was said to have been a thief during life haunted a town in the shape of a deer. The ghost deer would knock on doors and wait. Between her horns she carried an illegible text. She stopped appearing when someone deciphered the text.
🎨Eugen Krüger
#WyrdWednesday
Wyrdlings!
Some things are set in stone. Or wood. Or bone. You name it, since this week:
"Carvings, Inscriptions & Writings on the Wall"
is our #WyrdWednesday topic – so, tell us tales of wyrd bas-reliefs, strange runes on artefacts and otherworldy hieroglyphs found in deep dungeons!
Often when you think you're at the end of something, you're at the beginning of something else.
~ Fred Rogers
🎨Martin Johnson Heade (1819–1904) #wyrdwednesday
I am so sorry my dear friend 🫂
An English cemetery covered in wildflowers
England
I'm thinking of you both 🫂
Wyrdlings!
Swedish storyteller Elsa Beskow turns 152 this week, reason enough to give you:
“Sabaton, Snorri, Storsjöodjuret - Strange Scandi Stories!”
as this week’s #WyrdWednesday topic!
Come, tell tales, of elks, sea rovers and Nordic Noire!
Wrydlings! Connect with your fellow wyrdlings using our official #WyrdWednesday Starter Pack 👻
go.bsky.app/VbnjwPS
Painting as described, ladybird on one leaf.
🖼 Woodland floor with Snowdrops, Josef Lauer, C19th.
Guess who Ireland’s “Black Gentry” is.
And if they leave their rookery is a sure sign of bad luck coming... but what if the rooks return?
Well, we’ll find out in our 3rd #winterfolklore tale. Read it below.
🎨 Carton Moore Park
A painting of a park at night, with a large house visible in the background, to the right of the scene. Two people watch from behind a tree, as ghostly figures in 18th century clothing dance and socialise as though attending a ball.
The Haunted Park
by Richard Doyle (1824-1883)
#PhantomsFriday
It's so nice to hear from you, no apologies needed 🖤 Happy Halloween and Happy New Year!
In Celtic mythology, a white stag is a herald of profound change. In Arthurian legends he symbolizes the eternal quest for spiritual knowledge. In Narnia, the stag grants wishes to those that catch him.
art by Sebastian Meyer
Well done! And you gave it pockets 💕
Some say the animals talk at midnight on Christmas Eve and what the animals say is seldom good.
But, of course, we hear what they have to say in our 25th #yulefolklore story, because it’s a proper #wyrdwednesday tale and… talking goats!
Read it below!
🎨 Edgar Hunt
Oh no! Feel better soon Rachel! 🖤
Blessed Yule
youtu.be/rNI6b35kdi0?...
On the 21st December, The Stiperstones becomes a dangerous place. The Devil sits on his chair and calls forth all the wicked folk, to judge their misdeeds and partake in the most important black mass of the year. During this, they elect the king of evil for the next 12 months.
#folklore #solstice
Lovely memories of wonderful reviews of my poetry collection, In the Shadow of Gods, when it first came out. 👇
We light the candle crown of St Lucy in our 14th #Yulefolklore tale today, of course, but learn that there is always a dark counterpart, even when we keep the other at bay.
Find out how that goes in the link below.
🎨 John Bauer
Delighted that Selkie has been rereleased today. It was such a wonderful experience to write this script and work with the amazing @storiesalt.bsky.social and our brilliant actors! 💙
If you would like to travel to the sea today
🦭 pod.link/1812026298 🦭
Many cultures feared the winter dead would wander, but they also welcomed them home. Lighted candles, open doors, and shared food kept the living and the dead in gentle company. #FolkloreSunday
Art: Jeffrey Sparks
The end of the year is a liminal time and the believe of witches abroad doing mischief is almost universal across Northern Europe in December.
We meet one in our 9th #yulefolklore tale in the Bavarian Alps – and, of course, she’s up to no good!
Read it following the link below.
🎨 Maéna Paillet
Wyrdlings!
It’s fantasy fantasy pioneer George MacDonald’s 201st birthday this week and to honour him, we’ll give you:
“Going Deep - Goblins and Other Things that Burrow and Crawl Underground”
as our #WyrdWednesday topic!
Come and share tales with some depth ⛏️👻
Artwork of Krampus #yulefolklore
A little late but Gruss vom Krampus 🖤💀
Picture of In the Shadow of Gods by Rachel Deering besides a tuxedo cat in the sofa. Green flower pillows
Rereading @racheldeering.bsky.social's wonderful poetry collection. Can't recommend this book often enough!