#folk lore

[its-ticsticstics]

The Wend*go is Not Your Cryptid

I'm Algonquin/Ojibwe and this is a spirit that comes from our teachings.

As a young child, the elders taught me to never even SPEAK its name, to not even sing its songs. When we sang a song about it during drumming group one year, we all got in trouble.

You do not spell the word or speak the word.

It's NOT a "cryptid" or a "spooky story" for white people to appropriate.

Its bearly spoken about in our own communities, and even then, only very carefully.

Again, not because its "creepy" but because its respected and something in our traditions that is not played around with; so its certainly not for non-ojibwe/algonquin people to speak about whatsoever. Period.

#ndn #indigenous #appropriation #ojibwe #algonquin #first nations #wendigo #cryptid #folk lore

[lunegrimm]

To close the year up my favorite project I have worked on this year:  a wood burning  on my new hurdy gurdy, hopefully I will have lots of time in the new year practice playing it 

#hurdy gurdy #medieval music #medieval #medieval art #wood buring #drehleier #lyra rustica #folklore #knotwork #ornaments #instruments #runes #bindrunes #folkmusic #folk lore #lunegrimmart #folk music #creatures

[monthgirl]

#cryptozoology #mothman #cryptid #supernatural #mythical creatures #creatures #folk lore #omens #monsters #artwork #art #fanart

[weirdlookindog]

Spring-Heel'd Jack, The Terror Of London, 1867

#spring heeled jack #the terror of london #horror art #penny dreadful #victorian gothic #folk lore #urban myths #illustration

[poisonapplezine]

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These beautiful tarot card previews are by:

@auroradiation

@jabberwick

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#zines #tarot #tarot cards #mythology #folk lore #fables #fairy tales #gothic horror

[tofurevolution]

A wonderful Krampustag to you all! 🔔

#krampus #krampusart #folk tales #folk lore #witchcraft #witch art #tofurevolution #occult art

[outworldletters]

My lovely apprentice.

I hope I have taught you enough for you to know you should not touch suspicious letters that you have found under your pillow with your bare hands.

But if you did, there is no telling what the magic I imbued these words with will do to you. Please, tell me if you feel any strange urges immediately. Like the urge to kiss me.

Just kidding! Actually, you won't be able to unglue your eyes from my words. I mean, literally. Try throwing this letter away from you.

You can’t, right?

it appears that your senses of caution haven’t improved under my tutelage

Anyway, I should have your undivided attention, no? Be a good apprentice and listen to my words.

Did I tell you we are invited to the Owlight Festival Ball? We are tasked with making sure there is no foul play in the main event. Therefore, I have been developing this gluing spell.

The ball takes place after dinner, once the street food stalls have closed and night has fallen. Lanterns of all shapes and sizes are hung on the canopy of trees, their gentle glow illuminating the dance floor covered in wildflowers. The air is filled with the sweet, succulent fragrance of nectar and the smell of underhand shenanigans I will explain later.

To take part in the ball, the guests must don their moths and butterflies inspired finery, and be blindfolded for part of the festivities.

Ah, picture us, fluttering and flying in an endless dance, spinning in a gentle whirlpool of color and light!!

The rules of this dance are simple and require you to match twice with your pair in order to win a prize. During the first dance, all the Moths guests, blindfolded, give their name-cards to the Butterfly guests. During the second dance, it is the opposite - the Butterflies exchange their cards with the Moths guests, while the Butterflies guests only have their hunches to guide them.

Can you imagine the joy we'll feel on finding our match, not once, but twice in a night?

It is all about trusting the connection that you feel in your heart and being perceptive enough to recognize the signs that your partner gives during the dance, even being blindfolded.

Or it is all about using the right tracking spells.

You would not believe the length some couples would go to guarantee they can find their spouses. I heard matching with random strangers does not do wonders for a couple that enters the ball together.

Alas, our job is to guarantee no one cheats! I trust you will study hard all the most used tracing and marking spells on the three worlds. For my part, I will be enchanting all the name-cards to ensure they cannot be traded again once exchanged.

Hence the glue spell you are currently experiencing. Neat, yes?

Would you be mad if we mismatched, my dear apprentice? Jealous? To me, matching with you would be the ultimate prize and the icing on the cake of an already perfect night. But if we do not match, I will still be incredibly proud and thrilled to have spent time with you. The festival and the prizes mean nothing to me compared to your happiness and our connection.

That being said, I am pretty confident in my abilities of finding you blindfolded.

You have a special aura that sets you apart from others, and I can always recognize it. I have become attuned to your essence, your thoughts, and your feelings. Your presence would feel familiar and your body would fit into mine perfectly. There is no darkness, no distance or separation that can ever be enough to separate us completely. For I know you like the back of my hand, my love, and I know what I am capable of when you are truly in my grasp.

You know, this festival has a sweet little story behind it. Do you want to hear it?

Ah, yes. You have no choice but to keep reading. Next time, don’t stain your fingertips with my magic, yes?

Once upon a time, there lived two birds- one a songbird and a night owl.

Although they lived under the same skies, they never saw each other.

The songbird sang every day and the song of her voice filled the owl’s dreams with melodies so pure and so exquisite that the owl fell in love with her. Yet, they never saw each other, for day and night are two worlds that never meet.

The owl, wanting to get to know their love better and not having any other option, offered something he thought a day-dweller would cherish the most - night moths. Every evening, the owl would carefully choose a moth to present to its love, putting it where they would find it.

The songbird, not knowing who offered her the gifts, was nonetheless touched by her admirer's love. She would catch and carefully select the loveliest butterfly she could find to present him.

Thus, these lovebirds continued to offer each other gifts, never knowing their time or fate is soon to come. And so, one day, a sudden change happened. As the songbird collected its butterflies, a shadow passed over.

It was the Owl, who had decided to offer something more special than moths. He was willing to hunt for something beautiful and unique to the day - something like a colorful bird that caught his eyes. However, what the owl did not realize was that his own lover was what he had caught.

I can only imagine the shock and the guilt at that moment. He thought this was what his love wanted, instead all it did was destroy them both.

And so the Devildon found that this cheerful little story was an excellent excuse to make a whole festival out of it. Demons, yes?

But I get why it would tickle their fancy. For them, it is a cautionary tale of the dangers of offering more than what ones receive. About keeping the equivalent exchange. In a way, the owl and the songbird had a clear pact going - butterflies for moths. The owl overstepped.

For a talented sorcerer like yourself, my apprentice, you seem to have almost a distaste for the give and take.

I am used to pacts. That our relationship is not built upon one makes me nervous sometimes. At first, I used to tally everything that you gave me, so I could make sure I would reciprocate you exactly. Nothing more, nothing less.

It is easy to put a price on magic and power. But you, my lovely apprentice, made me discover I had no way of measuring what you gave me.

I’ve only ever focused and obsessed over those complex, arcane patterns that I could break down and recreate into something new. All this time, I’ve lived life looking for something grand and grand and grand… yet to you, all it takes is small things. And it is through you I’ve realized that small things can also add up to something grand.

Your first gift to me was the gift of perception. I have come to cherish and find beauty in even the simplest things, like a cat sleeping on a cushion. The way the wind brushes my face or the stars glitter above me at night. Your kindness, empathy, and affection fill me with such joy every day you wake me up with a kiss good morning. The taste of food prepared by you or the comfort of a hot bath after a long day. I have even found joy in your constant teasing or the way you love to sleep on top of me at night.

I look at your face and I am immediately drawn to the simplest things - your lips curving into a smile or your gentle eyes full of questions. I love the way your eyebrows twitch when you're confused or how you tuck your hair back when it falls in front of your eyes. The invisible freckles on your nose that I could just about kiss. The way you curl your legs up underneath you to make yourself smaller when you are feeling unsure. The way your skin gets glazed by moonlight, your breath on my neck. The way you bloom under my tongue.

It is you, the grand thing I was looking for. You, the sum of all these simple, delightful little parts that makes for the complex being that is you.

My sweet, intelligent apprentice, I am more than happy to give you anything you want. You have helped me see and treasure a hundred small things I would have just glanced over and forgotten otherwise. There is not a single thing you could ask of me that would ever be too much.

You are worth more to me than you could fathom. I feel I don’t give you nearly enough. So tell me, what would you like in return? I know what you would say - you want for nothing.

The owl and the songbird: I don’t see their story as the demons do.

I believe the moths and butterflies were also representative of the Songbird and the Owl themselves. The moths, which belong to the dark, were the Owl. And the butterflies, which belong to the light, were the Songbird. The insects were, to them, representative of their bond and were the closest thing they had to communicate their feelings to one another. So, in the end, their tragic fate may also be seen as a representation of the owl and the songbird becoming unable to distinguish themselves from their offering. So much so that the songbird ended up on the beak of the owl.

This - this was your second gift ever for me - the understanding that love is not a magical transaction or a pact, nor should it be tied to what one party offers to the other.

You are not what you give me - and I am not what I give you.

I don’t want your magic or your power. Instead, I want to hold you in my arms and comfort you on your bad days. I want to be by your side and watch your dreams come true. I want you.

I love everything about you- your wit, your humor, and your sweet innocence. But what I love the most is your curiosity, your intellect, and your desire to learn and grow. I have met no one capable of asking so many questions and never being satisfied with the answers. You fascinate me with your unique take on everything, your ability to see beauty in everything around you, even things most people would deem ugly. You humble me.

Still, there is a gift and there is a pact I would wish for us to trade and firm.

First, a gift for my songbird.

It is something I already gave you long ago, which you continue to hold every single second we are together: my heart.

And as for the pact, I hope that as soon as you finish reading this letter, we can do the simplest exchange: my warmth, your presence.

With love, Solomon.

P.S. If you managed to get your eyes and fingers unglued from my words, that was just the first part of the spell. The real challenge is getting me unstuck from your mind. Good luck!

#obey me #obey me solomon #solomon x reader #solomon x mc #solomon x you #epistolary #love letters #wizard #folk lore #the night owl who ate the songbird #magic #demons #outworld letters

[samglyph]

I have been in such a redraw mood lately I don’t know what’s up. Fun way to test out new techniques I guess.

#when I don’t know what expression to give Dae I just draw him crying. I’m so sorry #my ocs #pretty happy with this actually. the comic will not be looking like this cause this took too much time but maybe the covers #my art #Woodward #Woodward webcomic #pieridae #prince Pieridae #faeries #folk lore #character design #Pieridae uses any pronouns btw

[orrinivalis]

here dwell the spirits of the water, the goges

#original photographers #catalunya #catalonia #amateur photography #photographers on tumblr #naturecore #artists on tumblr #forest #cottagecore #fall aesthetic #autumn #nature #forestcore #woods #lensblr #witchblr #folk lore

[ashleabechaz]

The Lost Harpy

Gouache and Watercolour painting on paper

#inktober #inktober 2023 #drawlloween #drawtober #painting #gouache #gouache painting #illustration #art #drawing #creative #illustrator #ink #handmade #mythology #greek mythology #folk lore #harpy #monster

[neltotxparacosm]

KAPPA

Kappa are aquatic reptilian creatures found in Japanese folklore. They thrive in rivers and streams, excelling in swimming. They have scaly skin in various earthy hues, webbed hands and feet, and a turtle-like beak and shell. Kappa possess a dish-like depression on their skulls, which must be kept wet to survive.

These creatures can live alone or in family groups, befriending other yokai and humans. They're proud, honorable, and intelligent, able to learn human languages and possessing medical skills. Kappa are omnivores, with a taste for raw innards, especially human anuses, and cucumbers. They enjoy mischief, sumo wrestling, and games like shogi.

***************** ***************** ***************** ***************** *****************

CREDITS:

INFO: Mythology.wikia.com

PHOTOS: Matthew Meyer

#Fantasy Creatures #Mythical Creatures #Urban Legends #Fantasy World #Folk Lore

[thecalendork]

🍎Snow White (or The Beautiful Daughter)

I started this piece back in 2022 but it sat in my WIP folder for several months. This made the recent "Snow White is WHITE! It's in the name!" comments going around online due to Disney's new live action film particularly funny to me because...umm...no?

Snow White was a name the Grimm Brothers titled their version of a story that can be found throughout history; generally dubbed a "Beautiful Daughter" tale. These stories always featured a beautiful step daughter in danger of being killed by a wicked step mother, though the name and features of the heroine changed depending on where the story was being told. Many other aspects of the story would remain quite similar, even if the two versions were from vastly different parts of the world.

For example in many European versions of the story the wicked stepmother tries to kill the heroine by offering to comb her hair with a comb covered in poison. In some African versions the stepmother offers to comb the heroine's hair but rather than attacking with the comb itself, jammed a nail into her head while her back was turned. (which seems way more brutal to me!?)

Anyways, after reading a collection of "Snow White" style stories from African countries I really wanted to make an artwork for my Fairy Tale calendar that featured a black Snow White. I never could have guessed that a couple of months later my random readings of diverse Snow White stories would be so relevant! 😅

#digital art #digital illustration #small artist #originalartwork #original content #fairy tale art #fairytales #fairy tale #snow white #grimm brothers #disney #folk lore

[scotianostra]

On the 22nd of August 565 the Loch Ness Monster was invented, or first spotted, depending on the way you look at it!!

The Loch Ness Monster has long fascinated Scots and tourists alike, with regular reported sightings of the aquatic beast. But the earliest written reference linking such a creature to Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands can be found in the biography of Saint Columba, the man credited with introducing Christianity to Scotland

Columba was said to have been on his way to visit a Pictish king when he stopped along the shore of Loch Ness. Seeing a large beast about to attack a man who was swimming in the lake, Columba raised his hand, invoking the name of God and commanding the monster to “go back with all speed.” The swimmer was saved and Columba praised for his efforts.

Later revered as a saint, Columba’s life was written about 100 years after the supposed Nessie event, which leads some historians to doubt its accuracy…...no shi! 

#Scotland #scottish #irish #St Columba #loch ness monster #history? #religious history #folk lore #Legend

[weirdlookindog]

Legend of the Banshee, 1892.

Illustration from 'The World of Romance. A treasury of tales, legends and traditions'.

British Library

#legend of the banshee #bean sidhe #ban sith #folk lore #folk horror #victorian gothic #1892 #1890s #horror art #illustration

[hairtusk]

english folk traditions | via reaphookandsickle

#sorry for tiktok reposting again but I'm obsessed with this and it made me giggle #and two of these places are places that i've lived in #i'm 100% joining a morris dancing side next semester #folk traditions #folk lore #english folklore #english folk traditions

[headspacedad]

so I’m thinking about the Victorian custom of making mourning jewelry.  Basically this was having a piece of jewelry made, say a brooch for instance, when someone you loved died.  Inside the brooch you’d include (usually) a lock of their hair.  In fact, hair was in high demand on the Victorian mourning market, going beyond a simple lock of hair in a watch fob to becoming a part of the jewelry itself, woven into metal or used in the enamel, etc.  Hair wasn’t the only thing kept.  There are records of teeth making their way into rings for instance.   Having a part of a loved one that had passed on felt like a way of keeping their memory close. 

on another, and entirely unrelated note - I’ve also been thinking of the folk lore and superstition that a lot of cultures have that say when you clip your nails or lose - a tooth for instance - you need to dispose of it properly.

Because to have a part of someone else’s body is to have a way to control them.

#story time #story ideas #victorian mourning jewelry #jewelry #folk lore #superstition #superstitious beliefs #mourning practices #necromancer #just sayin #okay to reblog #feel free to add to