We live in an age in which we’re used to edited imagery and special effects. But such visual trickery predates Photoshop and other software by a good century and a half. The field of spirit photography relied on a mixture of belief, photographic gimmicks, and new technology to ‘capture’ the dead. Is it really all […]
halloween
Cats In Folklore: Not Just A Witch’s Familiar
Love them or loathe them, cats are fascinating creatures. And there are plenty of cats in folklore and myth. The ancient Egyptians revered them so much that killing a cat became a punishable offence. The cat deity, Bastet, defended the pharoah, cats, and children. Cats in folklore occupy many roles. Whether they’re stealing souls for […]
Did the Hand of Glory really work or is it a myth?
The Hand of Glory is a peculiar artefact. It appears in the folktales of northern England, and examples even exist in museums around the country. But this is a strange one for this blog because Hands of Glory weren’t simply a folk tale. They really did exist. Question is, how true were the stories about […]
What is the Day of the Dead and how is it celebrated?
For the past few years, colourful skulls have joined the more traditional skeletons as Halloween decorations. More people outside of the Americas are adopting Day of the Dead celebrations. The 2015 James Bond outing, Spectre, even opened with a huge Day of the Dead parade. But what is the Day of the Dead? How does it differ from […]
Where do our weird Halloween customs come from?
Halloween is almost upon us. In the US, families will decorate their gardens and turn their homes into haunted houses. In the UK, lots of people will turn off the lights and pretend to be out when little kids come to call. Don’t get me start on the plethora of ‘sexy’ costumes we’ll see this […]
#FridayFlash – Halloween Surprise
“Are you ready, honey?” “Almost.” William adjusted his tie and smoothed down his hair with one hand. He grimaced at the oily feel of the gel Mary insisted he use. His wife made her way down the stairs and the top step creaked. A halo of tight black curls surrounded her pale face, and a […]
