When the Dead Dined: The Revenant Panic of Moravia
Behind the 'vampires of Moravia' lies a knot of dinner-table omens, uncorrupted corpses, and courtroom rituals-later folded into Europe's vampire craze.
Myths & Folklore
Explore ancient legends, supernatural beings, and folk tales from around the world. Discover the stories that shaped cultures and continue to captivate imaginations.
13 articles found
Isis: The Enduring Power of an Ancient Goddess
The complex journey of Isis from Egyptian goddess to universal deity, exploring her myths, roles, and lasting influence on religion and culture.
The Strange History of the Green Man
How church-carved foliate heads became the 'Green Man,' why scholars argue about his meaning, and where you can still meet him in the wild.
When the Dead Come Home: Night Visits and Vigil Feasts in the South Slavic Balkans
Why the living set water for the dead, how households kept spirits at bay, and what village stories say about justice, love, and the thin border between grave and door.
Slavic Sorcerers in Old Serbian Fairy Tales
Old Serbian fairy tales portray sorcerers, both women and men, as guides, healers, and spirit-talkers. This close reading of four tales explores their roles, meanings, and echoes across Slavic myth and modern fantasy.
Lilith: From Demon to Feminist Icon
From Mesopotamian spirit to Jewish myth to feminist icon, Lilith embodies the tension between danger, desire, and autonomy across centuries.
Werewolf Woman from Croatia
A chilling 1888 tale from Pleternica, Croatia: a woman turns into a wolf, sheep vanish, and folklore blends with everyday rural life.
The mysterious legend of Drekavac: A trace in Tometino Polje
What the Drekavac is in South Slavic lore, what happened in Tometino Polje in 2003, how to tell folklore from predators, and how villagers protect flocks.
Kozlak: The Almost Forgotten Vampire of Dalmatia
Hidden in Krauss’s 1908 work is Dalmatia’s Kozlak, a restless figure fast in life, feared in death, and silenced by Franciscan rites and a thorn from the hills.
The Mare and the Mora: Nightmares, Sleep Demons, and Slavic Folklore
The Mara, a nocturnal tormentor from South Slavic folklore, explains centuries of fear around sleep paralysis.
Sennentuntschi: A Dark Legend from the Alps
Across the Alps, the Sennentuntschi tale tells of lonely herdsmen who fashion a woman from rags and straw, only for their creation to awaken, speak, and demand a terrible reckoning.
Tarantism: The Dance of Desire and Delirium
In southern Italy, tarantism turned pain into motion: a fast, percussive dance that ‘drew out’ affliction and gave voice to desire. Here is how the myth, the music, and the modern pizzica fit together.
Balkan Myths: A Journey Through the Stories of Ivanić-Grad
In 1863, Đuro Deželić gathered in Ivanić-Grad the stories of vilas who dance on the flash of a storm, witches who ride men like horses, and werewolves born from restless burials. The best of that twilight heritage—retold.