Ash trees form a common part of the British landscape. Bushy and beautiful in full leaf, they provide strong hardwood when coppiced. Use this handy guide from the Forestry Commission to identify ash trees. While thorn trees provide the most common tree-related place name in England, ash trees come second (Kendall 2021). People on the […]
What Willow Folklore Surrounds This Beautiful Tree?
The weeping willow is a common sign of mourning. Willow folklore often pokes tendrils into death superstitions and sayings. Margaret Baker relates the belief that “[i]n Louisiana, […] when a willow grew large enough to cast a grave-sized shadow, a family member would die” (2011: 159). In the UK, no builders in the Fens used sawn […]
Meet the Oak, the Favoured Tree of the Forest!
The oak tree is pretty synonymous with the British landscape. From the National Trust logo to the mighty Major Oak that allegedly sheltered Robin Hood, we’ve got a bit of a thing about them. These trees first appeared around 65 million years ago. To put that into perspective, the first homo sapiens only appeared around […]
Frankenstein Will Always Live Again
Frankenstein was released on 21 November 1931 in the USA. It wasn’t the first adaptation of Mary Shelley’s novel since a silent version was released in 1910. Yet James Whale’s black-and-white version reversed the ailing fortunes of Universal and kickstart a wave of horror production. It also turned its Monster, played by Boris Karloff, into […]
Moving House Superstitions: Brooms, Bread, Salt and Smoke
Moving house is often cited as being one of the most stressful things you can do. After all, it’s a huge process, from actually viewing houses through to packing your stuff and moving it to a new home. It’s unsurprising that such a noteworthy life stage would have a host of moving house superstitions and […]
Something Old, Something New: British Wedding Folklore & Traditions
Weddings are often a ‘stand out’ event in many people’s lives, whether as guests or members of the wedding party. It’s hardly surprising that such an important day has accrued so much wedding folklore to ensure the marriage goes well. From the cake to the bouquet, the dress to the date itself, most elements of […]
