We’ve been looking at the folklore of poisonous flowers, from the showstoppers like Angel’s Trumpet to the magical larkspur, via common bluebells. They are by no means the only poisonous flowers in existence. This week, we’re moving away from flowers and onto toxic trees. I’ve seen one of these, oleander, in the Luxembourg Gardens in […]
#FolkloreThursday
Magical Plant Folklore: Larkspur, Periwinkle and Wormwood
Magical plants often have a long association with particular qualities, such as protection or help in romantic affairs. People often planted rowan as protection against witchcraft. The use of roses in love magic persists in the link between roses and romance. We’ve looked before at the folklore of super toxic plants, as well as common […]
Common Garden Flowers: Folklore of Bluebells, Daffodils & Hydrangeas
Last week, we looked at the folklore of flowers, focusing on Angel’s Trumpet, Foxgloves, and Deadly Nightshade. They are by no means the only poisonous flowers in existence. This week, I thought we’d bring it a little closer to home and look at three really common garden flowers – that are all toxic! You can […]
Wonderful Waterfall Folklore, Myths & Legends
Waterfalls are a favourite subject of artists and photographers alike. Discussing painting and literature, Brian J. Hudson points out that “the popularity of waterfalls appears to have grown considerably between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries [.. in] the period of the Grand Tour” (2012: 105). This was the era in which rich young men toured […]
Avoid the Dark Depths! Dangers Lurk in Lake Folklore
Perhaps the most famous slice of lake folklore is the Lady of the Lake in Arthurian legend. So much so that when an 8-year-old girl pulled a sword from Vidostern lake, the internet dubbed her the new Queen of Sweden. The Lady of the Lake of Arthurian legend aside, lakes pop up in a range […]
Strange River Folklore: River Gods and Dark Spirits
One of the things I love about running this blog is taking requests for posts. I got one a few weeks back about the folklore of water. The more I delved into it, the more I realised there was too much for a single post. So we’re splitting things into categories. We’ll look at river […]
