Fabulous Folklore with Icy

Birds of prey have an interesting relationship to humans, having been both competing predators and avian companions for leisure pursuits. They've provided omens through the practice of augury, or divination by flight pattern. They appear in heraldic badges or become associated with deities in mythology. But they also have links with ordinary people who shared the landscape with these fascinating h...

Thersa Matsuura, an American author living in Japan, explores lesser-known aspects of Japanese culture, folklore, superstitions, and myths. Fluent in Japanese, she uses her research to write stories and for her podcast Uncanny Japan. She's also the author of The Book of Japanese Folklore , which explores a range of spirits, monsters, and yokai for Japanese lore.  In this chat, we talk about some s...

Few watery scenes are quite complete without birds in the picture. Ducks drifting across a country pond. Gulls wheeling in the sky above the beach, before they divebomb an unsuspecting tourist for their chips. Kingfishers flashing along a river, a bright dazzle of colour against the water. They're so much a part of the scenery that aquatic birds have had a long relationship with humans. In some ca...

Sunderland began life as three separate settlements on the River Wear. A fishing village called 'Soender-land', or land that is cut asunder' existed by 1100. By the 18th century, Sunderland had replaced Wearmouth, and that's why we still call it Sunderland now. In the past, Sunderland has exported coal, lime, alum, ropes, glass, and pottery. Sunderland was the home of Pyrex and it was a major ship...

Marion Gibson writes accurate, engaging books about witches and magic in history. She’s been interested in witches for over thirty years, since she read the words of women accused of witchcraft in Elizabethan England. Why were they accused of crimes they didn’t commit? And why did they confess? Marion’s books tell the stories of these women and the men accused alongside them, and she explores the...

Carlisle began life as Luguvalium, a Roman settlement that grew out of the fort on the site. It was the capital of an ancient British kingdom. Both Vikings and Saxons captured the city. Over time, it took on strategic importance for its location near the Scottish border. But with so many clashes between the Scots and the English, not to mention the tensions caused by the Border Reivers, it's safe...

While York is often considered one of England's most haunted cities, other strange and unusual tales lurk in its narrow snickleways. There are stories of premature burial, printer's devils, cats that are either lucky or cursed, depending on your perspective, highwaymen, and an inevitable tale of witchcraft. Let's find out more in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore! Find the images and refere...

There is much of the strange and haunting in Sheffield's folklore. Does that make it a haunted place? There are stories of water gods in the River Don, demanding annual sacrifices, boggards in boggard lane, spectral visions of highwaymen, ghosts, and even Spring-Heeled Jack! Let's find out more in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore! Find the images and references on the blog post: https://ww...

Rue was cultivated in England for its medicinal use, having been introduced by the Romans! It appears in folk remedies to ward off evil spirits, poison, and plague, It also works in prophecy and hexes. Let's find out more in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore! Find the images and references on the blog post: https://www.icysedgwick.com/rue-folklore/ Get your free guide to home protection the...

St John's Wort often flowers around Midsummer's Day, or the Feast of St John, hence its strong links with St John. It's one of the most important plants in European folk magic! It's used for protection, warding off nightmare, and even love divination. Let's find out more in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore! Find the images and references on the blog post: https://www.icysedgwick.com/st-joh...

Daniela Simina is native of Romania, granddaughter of a Fairy Seer and medicine woman. She became acquainted with fairies through the local lore and folklore and through direct personal experience. Daniela teaches courses, classes, and workshops on various modalities of energetic rebalancing and of course, fairies. She is the author of Where Fairies Meet: Parallels between Irish and Romanian Fairy...

Lemon balm, or Melissa officinalis , is a member of the Lamiaceae family, along with mint, rosemary, marjoram, sage, basil, and lavender. Its popular name comes from the fact the leaves smell of lemon when crushed. In contemporary witchcraft, balm makes a popular ingredient in incense used for healing, reducing grief, or boosting the memory. It's also a plant that appears in folk remedies and herb...

Poppy folklore isn't just full of Remembrance Sunday or sleep charms. It even has links to love and honouring the dead!  Let's find out more in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore! Find the images and references on the blog post: https://www.icysedgwick.com/poppy-folklore/ Get your free guide to home protection the folklore way here: https://www.icysedgwick.com/fab-folklore/ Become a member o...

The iris is one of those instantly recognisable flowers, showy and bright with its voluminous petals, able to add a splash of colour to any garden. They've been beloved by humans for millennia, apparently favoured as far back as ancient Egypt as a decorative device. So how does the iris show up in folklore? Let's find out more in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore! Find the images and refere...

As we've seen with these European cities, ancient settlements often produce a range of ghosts and legends. It's unsurprising, with so many people living out their lives in close proximity across such a span of time. Milan's folkloric side includes traditional cuisine, dragons, ghostly women in black veils, and even a column defaced by the Devil - among other things.  Let's find out more in this we...

Althaea Sebastiani is a spiritworker and religious educator whose work focuses on helping people navigate the realities of deep spiritual practice. Their work is punctuated by strong emphasis on doing the work and encourages learning through direct experience. A spirit-led witch with nearly 30 years’ experience, their personal practice is land-based and devotional, focused on being responsive to t...

When it comes to plague outbreaks in Europe, your mind probably doesn't immediately jump to a so-called dancing plague. Yet that's precisely what seemed to grip Strasbourg, France in the summer of 1518. Townspeople started dancing, seemingly against their will, and couldn't stop for almost a month. Hundreds died of exhaustion, with contemporary commentators blaming the wrath of St Vitus. More rece...

As May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, I'm pleased to introduce you to Kamuela Kaneshiro, who was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii and is host of the Legends from the Pacific podcast.  Legends from the Pacific utilises Kamu’s cultural knowledge, and television/film background to craft stories of people, beliefs, and traditions to help promote Pacific cultures. He is also...

Austrian capital Vienna has a long history, dating back to the 1st century CE Roman military camp of Vindobona. It's been home to some pretty big names over the centuries. Mozart, Beethoven, Sigmund Freud, Gustav Klimt, Hedy Lamarr, Marie Antoinette and Erwin Schrödinger, among many others, have all lived in the city. Yet it's also got a darker side. Its vast Central Cemetery is a testament to the...

Helsinki has a lengthy history, dating back to at least the Bronze Age. Parts of the city even stand on old cemeteries.  It's bound to have a few ghost stories and folklore, surely? Indeed it does! We're talking haunted theatres, headless ghosts, ghosts with habits, and Finnish epics. Let's find out more in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore! Find the images and references on the blog post:...

Robin Hood is perhaps the most recognisable figure in English folklore, darting through legend in Sherwood Forest.  Yet discussions in the past tried to claim Robin as an ancient god, recast as a literary outlaw, or as one of the Good Folk, whether a local sprite or Robin Goodfellow himself. How did these writers draw the conclusion that Robin Hood was anything other than a leading character in a...

The Queen of the Fairies is sometimes named Queen Mab, depending on the source material. She's also known as the Queen of Elfland, the Queen of Elphame, and Titania.  So who is Mab? Does she come from English folklore, or is Mab the name given by playwrights and poets to the Queen in folklore?  Let's find out in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore! Find the images and references on the blog p...

For this month's episode of Fabulous Folklore Presents, I'm thrilled to bring you a chat with Rose Aurora! Rose is a fairy seer & sorceress, specializing in Faery, Elf, and Troll-related issues & spiritual needs. She is honoured to be part of a spiritual lineage of Celtic origin, but she is also trained in other spiritual traditions including Trolldom, of which she is a certified apprentic...

To some, Herne the Hunter is a ghost associated with Windsor Great Park. He haunts the tree where he died, rattling his chains and raging against...well...something. Elsewhere, Herne is portrayed as a demonic force tearing through the forest at speed, scooping up souls in the Wild Hunt. Some tales see him riding a coal-black horse with burning eyes. Others see him as a phantom stag that prefers to...

Few figures loom as large in British legend as King Arthur. Noble king, fair-minded monarch, mighty warrior - Arthur ends up taking on all of these roles at various points, and often a few more besides. How did ordinary people relate to him? How does he appear in folklore and the popular imagination outside of the world of the Arthurian stories? Let's find out how Arthur appears in folk traditions...