Icy Sedgwick's Blog, page 38
June 7, 2018
What Willow Folklore Surrounds This Beautiful Tree?
The weeping willow is a common sign of mourning. Willow folklore often pokes tendrils into death superstitions and sayings. Margaret Baker relates the belief that “[i]n Louisiana, […] when a willow grew large enough to cast a grave-sized shadow, a family member would die” (2011, p. 159). In the UK, no builders in the Fens used […]
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May 24, 2018
Meet the Oak Tree, All-Father of the Forest!
The oak tree is pretty synonymous with the English landscape. From the National Trust logo to the mighty Major Oak that allegedly sheltered Robin Hood, we’ve got a bit of a thing about them. But how does the oak tree appear in folklore? Last week we looked at the ash tree, and I mentioned the ash […]
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May 17, 2018
The Fantastic Magic and Folklore of Ash Trees
Ash trees form a common part of the British landscape. Bushy and beautiful in full leaf, they provide strong hardwood when coppiced. Use this handy guide from the Foresty Commission to identify ash trees. But what are the links between these trees and folklore? The links stretch back to ancient Ireland. Three of Ireland’s five […]
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May 3, 2018
Find the lost Temple of Mithras under London!
Do you want to see a Roman temple in London? Well, start off on Queen Victoria Street, with the Bank of England behind you. Head south down Walbrook towards Cannon Street. You’ll pass Starbucks on your left, and the Bloomberg building on your right. But look closer at the shining office block as you pass. […]
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May 2, 2018
21 Easy Things Writers Can Learn From the Design World
It’s often easy for writers to get stuck in the mindset of only ever learning from other authors. Whether it’s the interminable round of online courses, reading blogs, or listening to podcasts, writers educate themselves by following other writers. Often, it’s absolutely the best way forward. But writers can learn from a much wider range […]
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April 26, 2018
Meet Antenociticus, The God Adopted By The Romans
Antenociticus bears the most marvellous Roman-sounding name. Yet there’s a very good chance he’s actually a local deity, adopted by the Romans once they arrived in Britain. So who is he and why does he have a single temple in the whole of the United Kingdom? Come on then, let’s find out! The Temple to […]
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April 19, 2018
Need healing? You Need Aesculapius, Roman God of Medicine
It’s easy to sometimes take modern medicine for granted. We don’t have to visit an oracle or priest to diagnose an illness. And popping to a pharmacy is often just as helpful as sacrificing a chicken to read its innards. In the UK, we have the NHS. The ancient Romans had Aesculapius. But who was […]
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April 12, 2018
Meet Fortuna, Goddess of Luck, Abundance, and Fate
The English language features a lot of sayings about fortune or fate. Fortune favours the bold. May the odds be ever in your favour. They all boil down to the same thing – Fortuna may, or may not, give you a boost. She’s the woman to speak to if you want some luck sprinkled on […]
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April 9, 2018
Explore the Surprising Truth about Necromancy
Say ‘necromancy’ to someone and they’ll probably shudder. It doesn’t sound very pleasant. And if you believe popular culture, necromancy involves raising armies of the dead. Or does it? With the re-release of my dark fantasy adventure The Necromancer’s Apprentice and the impending release of The Necromancer’s Rogue, I thought I’d do a little digging. Is necromancy just the […]
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March 29, 2018
Why Are Kelpies So Feared in Scottish Folklore?
Many of the lochs and ponds of Scotland feature tales of kelpies. Unlike the gentle selkies we looked at last week, kelpies are altogether more dangerous beings. Most accounts describe the kelpie as taking the form of a horse. Its name come from the words ‘cailpeach’ or ‘colpach’. Both are Scottish Gaelic words meaning ‘colt’ or […]
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