Juleigh Howard-Hobson With England voting to leave the EU but Scotland voting to remain, it behooves us to note that not all Scots are so inclined. Case in point: the Ghillie Dhu. The Ghillie Dhu is native to the dark forests of Scotland. A tree guardian spirit that some call an elf and others a…
Folklore
The Power of the Evil Eye
Juleigh Howard-Hobson The power of a gaze can be palpable—we’ve all experienced that weird sensation of knowing when someone is staring at us. Perhaps that’s not all we’re feeling. Perhaps it’s a little more darkly fascinating than that. While Medusa may have epitomized the power of the malevolent stare, Sumerian cuneiforms from 3,000 BC include…
Memento Mortuis
Juleigh Howard-Hobson A “Year’s Mind” is the ancient English term for observing the anniversary of a person’s death. It comes to us through the Norse erfi minne: funeral drinking in honor of the dead. Interestingly, this observing of the dead on their death day is also known as ‘Minnying Days” which comes from the Saxon word…
