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Folklore

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Isle of Skye, Scotland

The Fairy Flag of Dunvegan Castle

Inside a Scottish castle hangs the tattered remains of a flag with murky origins and supposed magic powers.
Klåveröd, Sweden

Snuvestuan (Cottage of the Hulder)

This cave at the base of an unusually shaped cliff is said to be inhabited by a mythical forest enchantres from Scandinavian folklore.
Newport, Kentucky

Newport Fairy Doors

Dozens of tiny doors dot Newport's Mansion Hill neighborhood.
Stretching between the 16th and 18th centuries, the Scottish witch trials were among Europe’s longest and most deadly.
witchcraft

Isobel Gowdie and the Untold History of the Scottish Witch Trials

Some experts estimate as many as 3,000 people were accused and executed for witchcraft in Scotland.
Sarah Durn October 31, 2023
Soap Sally was always lying in wait to snatch idle children and turn them into soap and candles, according to regional folklore in Appalachia and the American South.
fairytales

Soap Sally, a Villain of Appalachia and the American South, Echoes Old World Evil

The wicked washerwoman, child murderer, and entrepreneur has parallels to Baba Yaga and other classic European folk figures.
Emma Cieslik October 30, 2023
This 1962 cover of <em>Official Detective</em> features a Halloween candy poisoner at work.
poison

Why Halloween’s ‘Poison Candy’ Myth Endures

Even though we know better.
Jennifer Byrne October 19, 2023
The Cailleach shrine can determine if locals have a good year or not.
rocks

Moving Stones Has a Magical Effect at This Secret Shrine in Scotland

Don't let the Cailleach curse your autumn.
Daniela Castillo Gómez October 17, 2023
San Rafael, Mexico

Nahualac Pond

A shrine in the middle of this pond represents a Mesoamerican creation myth.
In 2018, artist Marisela Barrera fielded calls as San Antonio's ghostly Donkey Lady.
haunted

Why Are There So Many Female Ghosts?

Female ghosts seem to dominate the afterlife. Whether the spirits are real or not, the reasons for the disparity could be revealing.
Nathaniel Scharping October 6, 2023
Caves of Hercules
List

16 Real-World Places Steeped in Mythology

From a legendary river of the dead to a long-burning fire, reality and myths merge in these places.
Jonathan Carey September 22, 2023
Michael Cleary claimed the human Bridget had been abducted when walking through a nearby "fairy fort," like this one in County Roscommon.
murder

Podcast: The "Changeling" Murder of Bridget Cleary

In March 1895, a husband murdered his wife after accusing her of being replaced by an evil fairy.
The Podcast Team September 12, 2023
New Delhi, India

Feroz Shah Kotla

The ruins of a medieval citadel believed to be haunted by a ministry of wish-granting djinns.
Two stones just out of the ground.
Jökulsárgljúfur, Iceland

Karl og Kerling

Legend has it these two stones are petrified trolls.
Vaitogi, American Samoa

Turtle and Shark

Rocky cove with large smashing waves tied to an important Samoan cultural story.
Stewart Island / Rakiura, New Zealand

Te Puka (The Anchor Stone)

A giant chain sculpture that plays on the Māori myth that Rakiura (Stewart Island) is an anchor stone chained to the South Island.
Prague, Czechia

Kabourek

A grumpy old water goblin guarding an old mill on the Devil’s Stream in Prague.
Singapore

Kubur Kassim Cemetery

Old Muslim cemetery and resting place of folkloric creatures
Aliki, Greece

Museum of Cycladic Folklore

This old museum contains dozens of detailed miniature ships and buildings.