Icy Sedgwick's Blog, page 30
June 12, 2020
[Book Review] Inkarna by Nerine Dorman
In a world where ‘paranormal’ books seem to be preoccupied with vampires or werewolves, Inkarna is quite the standout book. Nerine Dorman gives us reincarnation, ancient Egyptian mysteries and even daimonic powers. What’s not to love? The story is told by Ashton Kennedy – or rather, by Lizzie, a woman reincarnated into the body of […]
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June 6, 2020
What Charms Did Witches Use In Their Magic Spells?
Charms and rhymes characterise our memories of witchcraft from fairy tales, classic literature, and fantasy films. Do “Mirror, mirror, on the wall” or “Hubble bubble, boil and trouble” ring a bell? Many of these famous examples are invented for the purposes of fiction. But charms occupy a real place in the historical record, used as […]
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May 30, 2020
How are the Heinzelmännchen related to the Elves and the Shoemaker?
Shoemaking is one of those crafts that people still have a vague understanding of. Unlike blacksmithing, which most people rarely see, the tools of the shoemaker are usually on display at your local cobbler’s. While it’s a cobbler’s job to fix shoes, and a shoemaker’s job to make shoes, there’s enough crossover for us to […]
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May 23, 2020
Spinning in Folklore: Impossible Bets and Crafting With the Fates
The common images of spinning in folklore reflect its status as both a craft and form of industry. Most cultures have a figure related to spinning, from North America’s Spider Woman to the Norns of the Norsemen. As Freyalyn Close-Hainsworth points out, spinning is our oldest textile skill (2017). Being able to make rudimentary string […]
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May 16, 2020
Weaving in Mythology: Creating Fate and Fantastic Images
Where crafts appear within stories and folk tales, they’re often more than just a craft. Weaving in mythology and legend tied into ideas around fate and creation. Take ancient Egypt. Some consider Neith to be the first creator of ancient Egypt (though Ptah, the god of smiths we briefly met last week, also held this […]
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May 11, 2020
Ghost Train – Spooky Fiction set on the London Underground
The train lurches out of the Tottenham Court Road station and rattles east. Elsa flicks from her Kindle app to the clock – another ten minutes and she’ll be at Liverpool Street. Plenty of time to catch the train to Stansted before her flight to Naples. The train slows and rumbles to a stop. Elsa […]
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May 9, 2020
#BookReview – Paganism for Beginners
One of the problems with books about a religion as broad as Paganism is that authors can sometimes take a stance that their way is the ‘correct’ way, and alternative traditions are only included as a passing afterthought. As far as I’m concerned, this kind of gatekeeping should have no place in spirituality whatsoever, especially […]
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Blacksmith Gods: Making Magical Items of Myth and Mayhem
Blacksmithing looks like a magical art at the best of times. Take metal from underground, apply fire and pressure, and create something wonderful – or deadly. It’s hardly surprising that so many cultures would have blacksmith gods among their deities. From Ptah in ancient Egypt to Vulcan in ancient Rome, these creators were also often […]
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May 2, 2020
Blacksmiths of Legend: Wicked Wizards of Metal and Flame
Blacksmiths have long been held up as having supernatural abilities – either for good or ill. In Ireland, smiths held such a high status that people thought they had magic powers (Doyle 2010: 11). Notice I say ‘smiths’ at this point. The term does refer to metalwork, and it breaks into specialisms like silversmiths, blacksmiths, […]
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April 25, 2020
Weather Lore: A Tale of Portents and Omens
Is there a difference between lore and superstitions when it comes to the weather? Surprisingly, yes, there is. Superstitions are widely defined as being irrational beliefs. But weather lore? Jacqueline Simpson and Steve Roud explain that “[l]ore about the weather consisted mainly of practical information and advice, based on observation of nature, and transmitted orally” […]
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