Mistletoe is a strange plant. Neither tree nor shrub, it grows between soil and sky on the branches of other trees. It’s parasitic in nature. According to Philip and Stephanie Carr-Gomm, mistletoe bears very sticky berries that birds like the mistle thrush and the blackcap enjoy. The mistle thrush “deposits” the seeds after eating them. […]
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What are the festive links with holly and Christmas?
Holly and Christmas are like chocolate eggs and Easter. You can’t imagine one without the other. And there’s something so delightfully festive about holly garlands or wreaths in December. But how did this glossy but prickly plant become such a central part of Christmas decorations? Keep reading or hit play to listen to the podcast […]
[Guest Post] How To Write A Dark-Fantasy-Inspired D&D Campaign
I freely admit that I know nothing about Dungeons & Dragons. So I especially haven’t got a clue how you’d write a D&D campaign, let alone a dark fantasy inspired adventure! Thankfully, I know someone who does. So it’s my pleasure to hand over my blog to Hollie Jones who’ll teach you how to write […]
Who Is Krampus And How Is He Linked To Christmas?
Most people will have heard of Santa Claus. But it wasn’t really until 2015 that his dark twin Krampus finally poked his horned head into the limelight. Having your own Hollywood movie will do that to your media profile. But Krampus has been well known in Alpine regions for centuries. While the Feast of St. Nicholas […]
[Book Review] The Pre-Raphaelite Language of Flowers
The general conceit of The Pre-Raphaelite Language of Flowers is that Debra N. Mancoff has collected a range of paintings by the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and she’s decoded the paintings with a focus on what the flowers in the paintings mean. In some cases, the artists are only dimly associated with the 19th-century art movement. Her […]
Who are the Knockers of Cornish folklore?
Many cultures have some form of ‘little people’, be they leprechauns, brownies, or pixies. The knockers are a specific form of ‘little people’, believed to derive from early Welsh folklore. Considered the earliest inhabitants of Wales, the knockers taught the art of mining to the Britons. They’re now more closely associated with Cornwall. Tin mining […]
