“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:…
Category: #Folktales
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…
Flowers and Flower Lore – Hilderic Friend – 1883
November 6th, 1883. Introduction “FLOWERS are the friends of all, and we look with amazement at the person who cannot find some amount of pleasure in their study. Children love to gather them as they take their country rambles or return from the village school ; the sick are always delighted when a bouquet is…
The Clown of God – Tomie dePaola
The Clown of God – 1978 Image Credit: Tomie dePaola on Amazon Image from The Clown of God Image Credit: Tomie dePaola on Amazon Image from The Clown of God Image Credit: Tomie dePaola on Amazon Image from The Clown of God Image Credit: Tomie dePaola on Amazon Image from The Clown of God Image…
One Hundred Favorite Folk Tales Collected by Stith Thompson
The Three Billy Goats Gruff, Norwegian The Ingrates, Italian John the Bear, French The Giant Who Had No Heart in His Body, Norwegian The Castle of No Return, Spanish The Danced-Out Shoes, Russian The Maiden in the Tower, French How the Devil Married Three Sisters The White Cat, French The Little Gardener with Golden Hair,…
Legends about Rings
If you are a Tolkien fan you are forever stamped by a Legend of the Ring: The Hobbit & Later, in The Lord of the Rings. You may not realize, however, that Legends of the Ring are thousands of years old. “A magic ring is a mythical, folkloric or fictional piece of jewelry, usually a finger ring,…