The Hollow Sea tells the story of Scottie, a woman struggling to come to terms with her identity. Having been adopted as a child, she has no memories before the age of 8. Yet some ghosts from the past snag her attention, and she’s called to an island chain off the Scottish coast to find […]
The Folklore of Glass: Slippers and Superstitions
Glass is a strange material. Its original source material is sand, but it needs human intervention through the application of heat and other processes to find form. We can see through it, but we can’t touch what’s on the other side. You can use it to concentrate a light source. Or it’s helpful if you […]
The Folklore of Stones: From Hag Stones to Healing
Stones are perhaps some of humanity’s oldest friends. They provided building materials and became simple tools. But they also vary in size, making some of them very portable as amulets. It’s no wonder that they’ve accrued both lore and superstition alike. For example, the heaviness and general permanence of stone slabs led to their use […]
The Folklore of Metals: Gold, Silver, Iron & Copper
Different metals are often baked into mythology. Look at griffins and dragons with their hoard of gold. Or Bellerophon’s use of molten lead to kill the deadly chimera. According to legend, people paid for their passage to the underworld with coins placed over their eyes. But how do different metals turn up in folklore? Why […]
The Folklore of Edible Plants: Basil, Bay, Chamomile, Dill, Fennel & Oregano
There is something almost glamourous about poisonous plants. From their showy blossoms to their exotic names, they cry out for attention. So it’s easy to overlook the folklore associated with the far more humble edible plants. These are the herbs we cook with. We might pass them in the dried herbs section. Or we see […]
Thyme to Find Romance? Meet the Herb of Love & Courage
Thyme is native to the western Mediterranean, and it is also found around western Asia and southern Europe. Garden thyme (Thymus vulgaris) is the most common variety, and the type found in historical remedies (Brennan 2020). The usage of thyme dates to 3000 BC, at least. Sumerians used thyme as an antiseptic and to clear […]
