Charon, the ancient ferryman of Greek myth, is one of those figures that pops up even where other deities get ignored or forgotten. Sometimes people simply call him ‘the ferryman’ and he loses his name, but we all know who we’re referring to. But who was Charon, and what is the folklore surrounding him? Hit […]
death
Why Is The Fetch Seen As A Death Omen?
Folklore crackles with tales of spirits and doubles. These bad omens, like the Bean Nighe, point to the death of the beholder. Irish folklore also features the fetch, a shadowy double who appears at the point of death. img src=”https://image.ibb.co/gGA5kJ/fetch_folklore_pin.jpg” alt=”The fetch appears in Irish folklore as an apparition seen when another is dead or […]
Why is the Bean Nighe seen as an omen of death?
We’re possibly all familiar with the idea of the banshee. The wailing female spirit cries out to announce a death within certain Irish families. But what of her cousin, the Bean Nighe? This lonely spirit also marks impending deaths, in Scotland and Ireland. Let’s get to know her a little better and find out why […]
Explore the Surprising Truth about Necromancy
‘Necromancy’ seems to baffle a lot of people. If people have heard of it, they either confuse it with necrophilia, or assume it means raising armies of the dead. Popular culture certainly chooses the latter option. Just look at the Necronomicon in the Evil Dead films. The book was first invented as a grimoire by […]
Persephone: Goddess of Spring and Queen of the Dead
Spring has well and truly sprung, with plants popping up here in the British Isles and lambs gambolling around in the fields. If you’re a follower of Greek myth, then you know we have Persephone to thank for this renewal of spring! But how much do we really know about this dual deity, both goddess […]
Inviting Sin-Eaters to a Funeral: Fact or Folklore?
There are few areas of human existence not touched by folklore and superstition. Unsurprisingly, burials and funerals come with a whole raft of beliefs and practices. Some of them persist to this day, while others, like sin-eaters, have largely died out. Despite the practice apparently lasting from the 17th to the early 20th century, there […]
