Here is a collection of posts about folklore, myth, legend, imagination and related topics. These are among the posts I most like to write. Enjoy!
Another note on tricksters, April 27, 2014
Notes from the Wasteland, January 21, 2014
More notes from the Wasteland, January 25, 2014
Help wanted, heroes and heroines: must be civil and adroit, January 16, 2014
Queen Bothildur: an Icelandic Christmas folktale, December 12, 2013
Face Rock, Bandon, Oregon, July, 23, 2013
Notes on Trickster stories, June 16, 2013
The North Wind’s Gift: a trickster tale from Italy, June 19, 2013
Where to find Tales of the Elves: Icelandic Folktales for Children. May 15, 2013
Jorinda and Joringel, Part 1. May 5, 2013
Jorinda and Joringel, Part 2. May 11, 2013
Authenticity and Folklore. February 14, 2013
http://wp.me/pYql4-2VY
Once Upon a Time by Max Luthi. February 5, 2013
http://wp.me/pYql4-2TI
A Dilettante Among Symbols . January 16, 2013
http://wp.me/pYql4-2Oy
Tales of the Dummling. January 8, 2013
http://wp.me/pYql4-2Ma
The Yule Lads: Icelandic Christmas Folklore. December 10, 2012
http://wp.me/pYql4-2D9
Tales of the Elves by Anna Asjornsdottir and Florence Thibault. December 2, 2012
http://wp.me/pYql4-2BG
Njal’s Saga: an introduction. Oct. 10, 2012
http://wp.me/pYql4-2sS
Njal’s Saga, part 2. Oct. 15, 2012
http://wp.me/pYql4-2tb
Njal’s Saga, part 3. Oct. 15, 2012
http://wp.me/pYql4-2ty
Njal’s Saga: some concluding remarks. Oct. 18, 2012
http://wp.me/pYql4-2up
Two hundred years of the Brothers Grimm. Oct. 8, 2012
http://wp.me/pYql4-2sw
Fairytales in the 21st century. Sept. 21, 2012
http://wp.me/pYql4-2q7
Fairytales for Midlife. April 2, 2012
http://wp.me/pYql4-1V3
Swan Maidens and Fairy Lovers, Part 2. March 28, 2012
http://wp.me/pYql4-1Tf
Swan Maidens and Fairy Lovers, Part 1. March 25, 2012
http://wp.me/pYql4-1RX
The Water of Life, Part 2. March 15, 2012
http://wp.me/pYql4-1Pm
The Water of Life. March 12, 2012
http://wp.me/pYql4-1OC
Go I Know Not Wither, Bring Back I Know Not What, Part 2.
Feb 8, 2012 http://wp.me/pYql4-1HK
Go I Know Not Wither, Bring Back I Know Not What, Part 1.
Feb 6, 2012 http://wp.me/pYql4-1H3
Alice and the White Rabbit, by Arthur Rackham
Of Greensleeves and Christmas Carol Karma. Dec. 21, 2011
http://wp.me/pYql4-1wq
The King and the Corpse by Heinrich Zimmer: A Book Review – Part Two.
Dec. 19, 2011 http://wp.me/pYql4-1vJ
The King and the Corpse by Heinrich Zimmer: A Book Review – Part One.
Dec. 16, 2011 http://wp.me/pYql4-1vt
The Wasteland. Dec. 15, 2011
http://wp.me/pYql4-1v3
The Story of Shambhala. Nov. 3, 2011
http://wp.me/pYql4-1oA
The Ballad of Jesse James. June 1, 2011
http://wp.me/pYql4-V9
A Childhood Story I Have Never Forgotten: The Death of Balder.
May 23, 2011 http://wp.me/pYql4-TU
Barbara Allen – Mysteries in a Ballad. March 26, 2011
http://wp.me/pYql4-Us
On Fairy-Stories by J.R.R. Tolkein. March 22, 2011
http://wp.me/pYql4-Ib
The World as Shapeshifter: A Hindu Parable. Feb. 13, 2011
http://wp.me/pYql4-zT
Shapeshifting in Faerie: The Ballad of Tam Lin. Feb. 10, 2011
http://wp.me/pYql4-zk
On Shapechangers: Proteus in John Barth’s, The Menelaiad.
Feb. 7, 2011 http://wp.me/pYql4-yK
Happy Imbolc, St. Brigid’s Day, Candlemas, Groundhog Day.
Feb. 1, 2011 http://wp.me/pYql4-sQ
Camelot and the Wild West. Jan. 26, 2011
http://wp.me/pYql4-wb
McCabe and Mrs. Miller. Jan. 25, 2011
http://wp.me/pYql4-vu
Pothos in Westerns 2: Pat Garret and Billy the Kid. Jan. 23, 2011
http://wp.me/pYql4-v2
True Grit, Pothos, and Westerns that Stick With You. Jan. 22, 2011
http://wp.me/pYql4-up
Christmas Tree Facts and Legends. Dec 23, 2010
http://wp.me/pYql4-jv
The King is Dead; Long Live the King. Dec 21, 2010
http://wp.me/pYql4-m2
Joseph Cornell’s Dreamtime. Dec 17, 2010
http://wp.me/pYql4-l9
“Tinsel,” by Hank Stuever, and other Christmas musings.
Nov. 23, 2010 http://wp.me/pYql4-fn
The Wishing Tree. Nov. 20, 2010
http://wp.me/pYql4-eW
Of Hamsters, Wisdom, and Persephone. Oct 7, 2010
http://wp.me/pYql4-9B
The Peddler of Swaffham. Sept. 11, 2010
http://wp.me/pYql4-85
The First Gates 
Very prolific . . . .
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Wow…thank you for this very comprehensive list! I teach cultural mythology and folklore to my 9th graders, and this will come in handy!
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I’m really pleased that it’s useful to you. Thanks for letting me know!
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oooo, check this out, Morgan. It’s a news report from March 2012 but I just saw somebody post it. A treasure trove of “lost” fairy tales! http://www.theguardian.com/books/2012/mar/05/five-hundred-fairytales-discovered-germany
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Thanks for catching that, Amy. I had spotted that recently too and bookmarked it to read in detail when I get a chance. Please continue to flag any similar stories like that you see – there’s way to much info to catch everything!
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I loved your article about the Death of Baldr, I think I read in the SF Chronicle.. I am a first generation Norwegian-American who spent several years as a child in Norway and may whole life surrounded by Norwegians (ones who emigrated here like my mother who came to LA to go to Art Center; I know a bunch of Norwegian physicists who went to Caltech in the 1970s). When Norwegian friends and family get together, they love to sing, laugh, tell stories, and, yes, the rumors are true- drink, But you can never take a drink unless you make a toast and say Skal! first. I grew up reading Old Norse mythology, Hans Christian Andersen, and every other type of fairytale and book you can think of (I read a lot of Kipling for some reason). However, I never got over that story, especially since Loki, the trickster god, was my absolute favorite (I named my cat after him) until I read that story and he transformed from a trouble-maker to a murderer. That story shocked me to my core. Your article set forth the same thoughts that I had about the story as a child. I could not believe that someone else felt like I did about that story- I thought it was way too obscure for Americans! I was so impressed that you knew the story and it had such an effect on you. Anyway, the other story that left a deep impression on me was a child (I think it actually scarred my psyche) was Andersen’s “The Little Match Girl.” To this day, I think that it is the saddest story that I have ever read. As a child, I could not believe that people would let a (literally) poor, little girl forced to sell individual matches out of hunger and desperation freeze to death on a Copenhagen sidewalk (If they had sidewalks back then). The fact that the little match girl froze to death while she was happy since the images of her actual(?) or imaginary(?) family that she saw every time she lit a match comforted her greatly did not redeem the story for me. I still think it is a horror story. Anyway, great site! Thanks for your good work. Best wishes, Ingrid Causey
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Thanks for your comments, Ingrid. I never really thought the Norwegian stories were that obscure. I discovered them when I was about eight. My sister has a dog named Loki, and certainly a lot more people here are familiar with some of the characters – Loki and Thor at least – through the Marvel movies. It’s interesting that you should bring this up right now, as I’ve started what is likely to be a series of posts in which is likely to mention Ragnarok (the story – I haven’t yet seen the movie), which is both an end and a beginning. I really appreciate the feedback!
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