four black and white film stills: Tomisaburō Wakayama as Iemon stares vacantly into the camera; Ayuko Fujishiro as Oiwa sees her disfigured face for the first time in a mirror held by Atsushi Watanabe as Takuetsu; Jūshirō Konoe as Naosuke in the foreground with a sword held to his neck by Sentarō Fushimi as Yomoshichi; a dreamlike, kabuki style image of two figures in fog.
Banbukyō-ji (萬無教寺 aka Manmukyō-ji) sits on the Philosopher's Path beneath Zenki-san (善気山).
Thanks to its links to Hōnen, it is better known as Hōnen-in (法然院), and because of the many camellia that grow here it's nicknamed Tsubaki-no-dera (椿の寺).
The shield bug (カメムシ 'kamemushi') sliding door was inspired by an old belief that an outbreak of shield bugs heralds a long, hard winter ahead (カメムシが大発生するとその冬は寒く大雪になる).
In the heart of Kyōto octopuses are celebrated at the small temple of Eifuku-ji (永福寺), known more familiarly as 'Tako Yakushi-dō' (蛸薬師堂 the 'Temple of the Octopus Medicine Buddha')🙏
'Nade-tako' - a small octopus statue intended to be rubbed by the faithful in the hope it will cure ailments and sickness. Typically you rub the area of the statue that corresponds to a problem you are having (the head for headaches etc...).
So why did Zenkō choose octopus in particular for his sick mother?
In Japan octopus is commonly eaten at New Year (お節料理), when one is sick, to fortify the body during the languorous summer months, and even as a prayer for hardy crops!
Question: Are there any good books on #UFO encounters/alien abductions from the perspective of #folklore scholars?
I.e. an analysis of how these beliefs spread and developed? I am not interested in any examination of any alleged "true facts" behind these stories - just how the beliefs spread.
This is a video from PBS about the northern lights, and how apparently for centuries, people have reported being able to hear the lights.
Scientists dismissed this as a mistake at best and an auditory hallucination at worst, but now there's actually a good theory for why some people might be able to hear a sound while the lights are happening. It's a fascinating eight minutes of both #science and #folklore.
I also made some promo posts. Because I think these epics should also be highlighted, and included in a wider literary canon. Because they have fascinating, complex, amazing women protagonists, and they have a whole lot to teach us.
A blue and yellow flowery frame with text: When we talk about Gilgamesh' descent into the Underworld to find eternal life, we should also talk about the Nisan shamaness' descent into the Underworld to save a boy's life
Taking a break from instant photography topics and writing about another passion: books on folklore and mythology! Starting a new series (90-Second Reads!) where I show the books I've read on this topic!
George MacDonald Fraser (1925–2008) – author, historian, journalist, screenwriter – was born100 years ago #OTD, 2 April, 1925
“His dedication to strongly researched stories, built firmly on a bedrock of historical fact, but always with an eye to the humour of a situation, was the core of what appealed to me”
Historical novelist Michael Jecks discusses MacDonald Fraser’s writing for the Royal Literary Fund:
“There is a story they tell in Breadalbane:
Gordon of Achruach was at feud with Campbell of Kentallan, who hired certain Gregora, landless men, who took the Gordon unawares while he was hunting in the Mamore. And they cut off his head and put it in a bag to show the Campbell that the work was done. That was the way of it…”
– From “The Gordon Women”, by George MacDonald Fraser. Published in THE SHEIKH AND THE DUSTBIN (1988)
A haunting or pleasing, dark forest image of a pathway with glimpses of light on a rustic timber handrail leading the viewer to a trabeated opening perhaps a doorway which appears to be the way into all that lies beyond deep in the forest....
For beginning of the #Spring I created this, #Slavic deities Jarilo (Jarowit) and Morana (Marzanna), reunited in afterworld. They have keys to open gates between dimensions, allowing Earth to reborn.
Last weekend I was celebrating traditional Morana's effigy drowning in Vistula river to bid farewell to Winter. Later our group marched through Warsaw Old Town with Spring pole made of young branches, singing about Jarilo looking for his partner and awakening nature to new life.
Cartoon Style drawing with two young looking people standing in water, surrounded by mist. Blonde-naired man, wearing beige linen clothes, short green cape and flower wreath in holding sleeping pale woman. The woman is wearing multi-layered bright blue dress, with orange strips and dark red cape. She has long black hair and red gem on her forehead. Both have halo around their heads. Man has golden halo, made of light beams, woman has purple, made of smoke and sharp crystals.
Une forêt de nuit avec un croissant de lune, quelques rares feuilles aux branche des arbres et une chouette qui regarde de face. La frondaison des arbres se font dans les bras d'une femme dont on ne voit que la bouche et la chevelure.
Couverture de Les Nuits envolées de Magali Lefebvre aux Editions du chat noir.
The Book of Forgotten Witches: Dark & Twisted Folklore Stories From Around the World by Lilla Bölecz & Balázs Tátrai, 2024
A beautifully presented hardcover collection of folklore and stories of legendary and historical witches from all over the world, with over 80 stunning, spooky illustrations.
For many centuries the figure of the witch has haunted our imagination and our nightmares. There have been many attempts to quash our fascination with these wielders of forbidden powers, but all have failed.
We invite you now on a journey through a moonlit world, where every shadow tells a tale of magic, persecution and persistence. In this beautifully illustrated volume, discover witches real and legendary, who once terrorized, devoured, helped or empowered their communities, but who are now largely forgotten.
Ten chapters introduce ten different categories of witches, from curse-bringers, shape-shifters and survivors to revenants, nature witches and fate-turners. Most, but far from all, are women, and their stories come from across the world.
Each chapter is linked to a different card of the Major Arcana and to a stage in the alchemical process of turning base metal to gold. In this way, as you learn about the witches, you will complete a journey of self-discovery and transformation, gleaning wisdom and empowerment from the awe-inspiring magical practitioners of folk tradition and history.
En tysk præst rejser i 1800-tallet på etnografisk studie til Litauen, men havner lukt i landadelens let gotiske sysler.
I grev Szemiots husstand indgår hans psykisk forstyrrede mor og hendes lige lovlig korporlige læge. Et lokalt rygte vil vide, at hun gik fra sine fulde fem, men også blev med barn, da hun blev overfaldet af en bjørn. I historiens løb gør sønnen, greven, kur til en ung arving til nabogodset, og historiens uafvendelige rim er sat i spil.
Lokis er en underspillet og lidt æterisk gyser, som til forveksling kunne ligne et historisk kostumedrama, hvis ikke for bondestandens (og livlægens) stadige kor af bjørnerelaterede folklore og vendinger.
Janusz Majewskis instruktion og manus (efter en roman af Prosper Mérrimée) er afmålt æstetiske, og holder kedlen under ret tryk til den mindste millibar som en mesterkok.
Den indledende rejse fra det kosmopolitiske vesten til Balkan Baltikum giver mindelser om Dracula, og filmens musik er såmænd skrevet af Wojciech Kilar, som stod bag scoren til Coppolas filmatisering af denne. I begge historier har vi den mystiske greve og hans gæst, men Lokis males i lysere strøg, og er mere et sceneri over den litauiske natur end et klaustrofobisk forfaldsinteriør.
Tilsammen danner ingredienserne en balance mellem den barokke folkesagnsfantasmagori i f eks Viy, og den hedenske sorte muld fra samtidige, britiske folk horror-film som The devil rides out. Kan varmt anbefales til en mere tænksom aften uden den store blodtørst.
Happy Groundhog Day! I am a fan of the absurdity of weather prognosticating rodents and celebrate Groundhog Day with my thermochromic linocut. The shadow is visible if the ambient temperature is <30°C and disappears when >30°C (and it’s a safe bet winter is over or you are overheating your home. So I argue my print is as dependable as any celebrity rodent! The reaction is reversible so 🧵
Two side by side images of my standing groundhog with shadow thermochromic print on 12” x 12” white washi paper. The groundhog stands on its hind legs. It’s brown with black paws. On the left the shadows is colourless but on the right it is blue, because the print on the left has been heated above 30°C
In rural Sweden it was tradition for brides to wear a golden crown on their wedding day. If you get married in a country church there’s is in many places still a crown available for renting on your big day.
But in some parts of Dalecarlia there was a second crown. One stashed away in some hidden place. It was no less special, despite not being kept on hallowed ground. You see - if a maiden died unwed, she would be afforded the privilege to wear another golden crown to the wake.
Welsh Fairies: A Guide to the Lore, Legends, Denizens & Deities of the Otherworld by Mhara Starling, 2024
Unveil the Mysterious World of Welsh Fairies Join Welsh native Mhara Starling on a captivating journey through the realm of the fair folk. Together, you will trace the threads of fairy lore from ancient Welsh literature like the Mabinogion to Mhara’s own contemporary experiences.
Delve into the depths of Annwfn (the Otherworld), the ethereal home where the fae reside, and meet Gwyn ap Nudd, the legendary king of fairies. Explore the enchanting variety of Welsh magical beings, including lake maidens, spectral lights, goblins, and mermaids. Discover the connection between magical practitioners and the Tylwyth Teg (fair family) and how you can, if you choose, incorporate these liminal entities into your own spiritual practice. More than a collection of stories, this guide to a Celtic fairy tradition offers practical insight and engaging exercises for those who wish to interact directly with the denizens of the Otherworld.
My name is Jürgen, and I translate old German folk tales into English - not just tales from the Brothers Grimm, but from the hundreds of other 19th century German folklorists out there.
To date, I have translated more than 600 tales. You can learn more about my project here (and you can get a free ebook version of my first book if you subscribe to my newsletter there):
Folklore: An Encyclopedia of Beliefs, Customs, Tales, Music, and Art,: [3 Volumes] by Kim Kennedy White, 2011
Written by an international team of acclaimed folklorists, this reference text provides a cross-cultural survey of the major types and methods of inquiry in folklore.
Did you know that the tale of Cinderella is over 1,000 years old, and similar versions of this singular story exist in hundreds of cultures around the globe? Have you heard of "deathlore," a subgenre of folklore involving tombstones, coffins, cemeteries, and roadside memorial shrines? Did you realize that UFO sightings and cyber cultures constitute modern folklore? The broad field of folklore studies, developed over the past two centuries, provides significant insights into many aspects of human culture. While the term "folklore" conjures images of ancient practices and beliefs or folk heroes and traditional stories, it also applies to today's ever-changing cultural landscape. Even certain aspects of modern Internet-based popular culture and contemporary rites of passage represent folklore. This encyclopedia covers all the major genres of both ancient and contemporary folklore. This second edition adds more than 100 entries that examine the folklore practices of major ethnic groups, folk heroes, creatures of myth and legend, and emerging areas of interest in folklore studies.
Contains contributions from major scholars such as David Leeming, Linda Degh, and Dan Ben-AmosNumerous photographs bring the subject material to life. More than 300 entries, each concluding with a bibliography of references. Over 50 sidebars provide biographical information on major folklore collectors and scholars.
A monument consisting of a central standing stone with a manmade hole through its centre positioned between two upright standing stones.
The current arrangement is not its original state and was thought to have originally been a stone circle. The purpose of the holed stone is unclear, but if you pass through it folklore says it will cure ills such as rickets and help get you pregnant.
We're back with a stellar conversation with grant writer and linguist Kenzie Grubitz Simpson! We're talking #folklore, #mythology, language's ties to embodiment, and even a bit about the #weather. Check it out!