All articles in Folklore
24th August, 2023 in Folklore, Natural World, Society & Culture
Stories about the starry night sky
The stars are our common heritage in the night sky, we are influenced by the portion of it that we see, and our stories create links between us as we realise our similarities and differences. When you look at the night sky – what do you see? Stars Stand there long enough and your…
3rd May, 2023 in Folklore, Local & Family History
Crankies in Wales: The man who brought moving panoramas to the Welsh Valleys
Peter Stevenson author of Illustrated Welsh Folk Tales for Young and Old tells the extraordinary tale of the man who brought moving panoramas to the Welsh Valleys in the form of a ‘crankie’. Years ago I started telling Welsh folk tales with a crankie, a wooden box the s…
8th March, 2023 in Folklore, Society & Culture, Women in History
Making ‘The Mighty Goddess’
The Mighty Goddess is a collection of 52 goddess myths from around the world written by me, Sally Pomme Clayton, with 52 papercuts created by artist and poet Sophie Herxheimer. My 40 year career as a writer and storyteller has focused on female protagonists and goddesses. And ove…
1st March, 2023 in Folklore
A shape-shifting, cart-wheeling, badger teapot tale from Japan
Choosing the best stories for a collection of children’s tales is a delicate balancing act between which stories to include and which to leave out. Here’s an example of why a shape-shifting, cart-wheeling, badger teapot story from Japan made it into the final selection for my new…
22nd February, 2023 in Folklore, Natural World
Telling the bees: Ancient bee customs now have royal approval
Mark Norman author of Telling the Bees and Other Customs: The Folklore of Rural Crafts talks about the ancient bee custom of ‘telling the bees’ and its connection to royalty. When the British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, passed away the world was naturally watching the news. As t…
13th February, 2023 in Folklore, Natural World
A love letter to February
Martin Maudsley author of Telling the Seasons declares his love for the month of February and the folklore behind it. Sensing the seasons Perceptibly, there seem to be more than just four seasons, as we experience the gradual changes of the natural world through the cy…
10th October, 2022 in Folklore
The writing process for ‘Myths of Gods and Goddesses in Britain and Ireland’
Sharon Jacksties author of Animal Folk Tales of Britain and Ireland and recent publication Myths of Gods and Goddesses in Britain and Ireland reflects on her writing career… I’m considering the sequence of events that have led to me writing this book, a departure in narrative f…
9th June, 2022 in Folklore, Natural World
Freshwater follies and fantasies
As River Folk Tales of Britain and Ireland is being published Lisa Schneidau reflects on the folk tales of Britain and Ireland’s freshwaters, and what these stories have to tell us about our relationship with rivers – past, present and future. What is a river? Is it a channel of…
15th November, 2021 in Folklore
Scottish storytelling tradition: The Devil and the Minister
Most of my favourite folk tales to tell, whether from my local area of Dundee and Angus or further afield, involve the Devil in one way or another. I did not do this on purpose. There was no moment at which I thought to myself, “You know who’s great? Satan. I’ll go and learn ever…
13th April, 2021 in Folklore, Local & Family History
The Spirit of Tinto Hill – A story from Lanarkshire
The story that follows is one such tale‚ adapted from a ballad called The Spirit of Tintoc‚ or‚ Johnie Bell and the Kelpie‚ by Sir Alexander Boswell‚ 1803. Boswell (1775-1822) a ballad collector‚ poet and songwriter, was a contemporary and admirer of Robert Burns (…
3rd February, 2021 in Folklore
Q&A with Kevin Walker for National Storytelling Week and LGBT+ History Month
Storytelling is an art – and the best storytellers draw you into their world and you feel like you’re drinking every word up. This is definitely the case with Queer Folk Tales, a collection of delightful, empowering, and often magical, tales that Kevin Walker has created and adap…
2nd February, 2021 in Folklore
Health warning: Singing and dancing can be dangerous
Musicians of all kinds play for dancing in many different styles. Throughout history minstrels, bards and local fiddle players have performed tunes when there was a celebration. From looking at folk tales we can see that music and musicians divided generations in the past just as…