In a systematic way, I am researching the wrting and illustrating career of Tomie dePaola. When I started this project, I was simply trying to think of a way to honor dePaola on his birthday–September 15. The prolific picture book author and illustrator Tomie dePaola was born on September 15 1934. After I began my…
Category: #Folktales
Tomie dePaola’s Mother Goose – First Published in 1985
Tomie dePaola’s Mother Goose – First Published in 1985 Image Credit: Amazom
The Real Mother Goose – from 1916 – Illustrated by Blanche Wright
ABC Great A, little a, Bouncing B! The cat’s in the cupboard, And can’t see me. GEORGY PORGY Georgy Porgy, pudding and pie, Kissed the girls and made them cry. When the boys came out to play, Georgy Porgy ran away. WEE WILLIE WINKIE Wee Willie Winkie runs through the town, Upstairs and downstairs, in…
Was Glastonbury a Celtic Site? Looking at the Glastonbury Tor
Glastonbury Tor Image Credit: Wikipedia Tower of Avalon in The Winter King Image Credit: Film Bristol When I watched the MGM series The Winter King, I was struck by the tower that rises above the rest of the region of Avalon, and my mind immediately flashed to stories about the use of towers in Fairy…
What Is A Druid in Celtic Mythology – Who Was Nimue — The Lady of the Lake?
“Druid, member of the learned class among the ancient Celts. They acted as priests, teachers, and judges. The earliest known records of the Druids come from the 3rd century bce. Their name may have come from a Celtic word meaning ‘knower of the oak tree.’ Britanica “The early Celts recognized an intimate relationship between man and nature:…
How Do the Stories about King Arthur Relate to Celtic Mythology?
The Setting: Post-Roman Rule Political Chaos “Stories about King Arthur usually take place in what is now England and Wales, some time during the fifth century CE. Arthur is not an English king – in fact, he is known for fighting the invasions of the Anglo-Saxons, the people who would later become known as the English….
Who Was Morgan le Fay?
Coincidentally or by a happy accident, I stumbled into the series The Winter King on tv at the same time that I am researching ancient mythology and folklore. Valene Kane as Morgan. (Image credit: ITV) “In Arthurian legend, Morgan le Fay is usually shown to be Arthur’s sister. She’s a witch who tends to protect and…
Ravens and Crows in Folklore, the Bible, & Mythology
Perhaps it is because he is dressed in black or perhaps it is because his cries are soul-felt–sometimes bone-chilling– for whatever reason, the Crow and or Raven is often associated with wickedness and witches. Yet, in relation to the church, he is aslo associated with good. The Raven and the Crow Are Ying Yang Birds…
Cranes in Folklore and Myth
I recently read that cranes, which are large, strong birds, have been credited as benevolent birds that allowed smaller, weaker birds to ride on their backs, during migration: “In The Evening Post, of New York City, dated November 20, 1880, a long letter appeared on this topic, written by an anonymous correspondent who gave his…
Bird Legends & Folklore Throughout History
BIRDS IN LEGEND FABLE AND FOLKLORE BY ERNEST INGERSOLL Chapter 1 “When we say, “A little bird told me,” we are talking legend and folklore and superstition all at once. There is an old Basque story of a bird—always a small one in these tales—that tells the truth; and our Biloxi Indians used to say the same…