Clothing is an intrinsic part of being human, letting us express who we are, what groups we belong to, what jobs we do, and so on. Clothes let us live in specific environments, providing warmth or cooling, depending on where we are. Apart from a few exceptions, it’s also part of our everyday routine. It’s […]
Folklore
The Folklore of Footwear: Shoes, Boots & Stockings
Footwear appears in a range of folklore and makes a memorable appearance is a series of fairy tales. Just look at the Seven League Boots or Cinderella’s glass slipper. But it turns out that it’s more than just a plot device when it comes to folklore. A whole range of superstitions and practices see footwear […]
Royal Witches: 15th Century Women Fall Foul of Political Shenanigans
When you think of witchcraft in earlier centuries, you probably think of stereotypically wizened women, huddled around cauldrons or casting curses. You probably wouldn’t immediately think of royal witches. Yet within the space of a single century, there were four women in England’s royal family that fell prey to witchcraft accusations. Whether they actually practiced […]
Shapeshifting Witches: From Witch to Hare and Back Again
Perhaps one of the most iconic scenes in Disney’s 1963 classic The Sword & the Stone is the magical duel. Merlin and Madam Mim start having a magical duel, with each changing form to try to best the other. Mim cheats, and Merlin finally defeats her, though this sequence is more inspired by the novel […]
Shapeshifting Creatures of Folklore: Fairies, Selkies and Ghosts
Shapeshifting is an ancient ability that appears in cultures around the world across the ages. It appears in an array of ‘types’ of shapeshifting. Some creatures can simply shift their form due to a natural ability. Gods often change their form (hello, Zeus), but they can also change the form of others. Look at the […]
The Folklore of Furniture: Beds, Tables and Chairs
Furniture tells us a lot about a period, people, or place. It’s solid, so it can often be the only tangible artefact left. It often bears the impression of human activity through use, and they tell stories. For example, you can see the botanical cabinet belonging to Mary Eleanor Bowes at Bowes Museum in Barnard […]
