I’m trying to understand my Finnish ancestry better, so I’m trying to find good resources on Finnish folklore. Any recommendations would be helpful. I’m also looking into the folklore of the native Americans around where I was born (Michigan, USA). So recommendations there also would be a help.

I have this nickname on my Instagram account 'Tree of Thorns' that I made up at some point a while back. I can't remember where I specifically got it from only that the concept of it was that it was a tree that you had to climb in order to atone for your sins and reincarnate, the obvious punishment being that you'd be stabbed with thorns the whole way.

Hey everyone! I'm researching the Coos County Wood Devil for an upcoming Podcast episode, a legend/cryptid/folklore from the New Hampshire woods! I was curious if this community was familiar with it and knew anything about its history/lore.

I'd love to hear any contributions to stories, history, or even personal experiences (if you have any)!

Does anyone know any websites that are as thorough as yokai.com but for creatures from non Japanese cultures? If I want to find something I usually have to hope https://abookofcreatures.com did an article on it or search a bunch of different websites. I’m especially looking for Nordic folklore and Eastern European.

I've been recently looking into folklore surrounding teething. There's a few posts which deal with it generically over history, but there seems to be a real lack in things in the past 100 years. I've found that Edward Lovett makes a reference to putting the mother's teeth in a bag around the baby's neck, but that's it. I also found an interesting study where the researchers asked parents visiting a hospital in Michigan about their folk practices, but I've been unable to find similar for the UK. Any ideas?

Hi,

I've been looking into vampire folklore and especially its origins in the Balkans with the "Vampir". It looks like this was just used to describe predatory revenants, but I've also heard that it was used as a generic term to refer to any human like being that fed on people including witches, werewolves, Incubis etc. Which is more historically accurate?

Thanks

Deep in the Western Ghats, the Malasar people—an indigenous tribe—tell the legend of Navakarai, a story of divine justice and the enduring power of forgiveness.

The tale begins with the Malasar’s arduous journey from their mountain homelands to the fertile plains below, where they sought refuge and sustenance from the affluent Goundar landlords. However, the Goundar, known for their wealth and pride, denied the Malasar even the bare essentials of food and water. Wounded by this cruelty, one among the Malasar uttered a fateful curse: the Goundar lineage would be barren for three generations.

This curse cast a shadow over the Goundar for years, filling them with remorse. In their desperation to break free from this divine punishment, they sought redemption at Navakarai, a sacred site near the border of Coimbatore and Kerala. With fervent prayers to Lord Ganapathi and Mahakali—deities known for their compassion and protection—the Goundar pleaded for forgiveness.

Their repentance culminated in the Maha Kumbhabhishekam, a grand ceremony of purification and renewal. Divine grace descended upon Navakarai, lifting the curse and restoring harmony to their lineage. In gratitude, the Goundar established an annual pilgrimage in February, marked by prayer, vegetarian feasts, and a celebration of unity and tradition.

Even today, the sacred aura of Navakarai draws pilgrims from afar, its story reminding all of the transformative power of forgiveness and the resilience of the human spirit.

Hey yall! As a fellow folklore lover i recently started a podcasted called “Tales Untold” on Spotify and iheartradio! Y is this relevant?

WELL I wanna share stories, legends and different folklores around the world!! So I’m looking for personal experiences you’ve had with the paranormal or folklore creatures/cryptids! Or if you have a personal favorite story pls pls pls reach out or comment!!

Ty for ur time and consider checking out the show “Tales Untold” with the green logo first ep is “Tales Awaken” 🌿

EDIT: here’s the link since there seems to be a lot of podcasts with a similar name! TALES UNTOLD PODCAST

Hi all-

When working with kids I like to have a good collection of stories I can tell off the cuff in case we need to stall for time or it's relevant to the activities we're working on, and I try to keep my stories decently true to original tellings. As such I've been trying to do some research into Anansi stories to make sure the ones I know are at least reasonably accurate. The problem is I'm having trouble finding many collections that seem super reliable and free of racial bias. Not sure if I'm just looking in the wrong places.

Does anyone know of good Anansi story compilations? or compilations that include some Anansi stories?

I take folklore lessons on dancing and singing at the center of traditional culture of Varaždin, there is this song that the only part I remember is that at one point it goes "hoja hoja hopsasa" and it's a really catchy song so I want to listen to it whenever I have time, how it's danced is that everyone dancing holds hands and walks in a circle when singing, please someone try to find it and tell me if you do, it would be much appreciated

As the calendar flips to November 27, 2024, I can feel the magic of Christmas already in the air here in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

The festive season has always been my favorite time of year, and in Chennai, it feels even more special. This city, with its typically warm climate, suddenly transforms during this season into a haven of cool breezes, gentle mornings, and an energy that is truly heartwarming.

This year, as Christmas and the new year draw closer, I find myself reflecting on the joys and challenges of the past year. I’m incredibly grateful for the blessings in my life—the opportunities to write, to share my thoughts with a supportive audience, and to find grounding in community values. Writing has become my anchor, and through this contemporary platform, I’m reminded of the resilience and creativity that thrive in digital communities like ours.

As I look forward to the new year, I’m inspired to continue documenting my journey. My writing isn’t just about sharing my thoughts; it’s also a way to connect with like-minded individuals.

Platforms like Reddit have become modern storytelling spaces, where communities share their experiences, offer support, and inspire resilience. 

I’m excited to share my thoughts here and continue learning from this diverse, vibrant digital community.

I’m humbled by the support I’ve received and excited to share more of my journey with all of you in the coming year.

Hello! I am looking for books akin to Classical Mythology A-Z, but for cultures that aren't included in that book. Specifically I'm looking for Irish, Celtics, British, Russian, Japanese, Egyptian, Native American and Jewish Folklore. I know it's a lot, and I know there may not exist exactly what I'm looking for, and in that case, I ask for the best, most complete works of that cultures folktales. Thank you so much for you help, and I apologize for such a big ask.

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for recommendations for websites that offer Norse mythology audiobooks. I’ve already checked YouTube, but it’s not ideal since I can’t put it in the background and do other things while listening.

If you know of any good platforms or websites that have high-quality audiobooks on Norse mythology, I’d really appreciate your suggestions.

I'm making a little journal filled with cryptids, folklore, that kind of thing. I've been researching amulets and talismans for a section, but I'm mostly just getting sites trying to sell me jewelry.

Stories like the first buffalo stone are neat, but I'm thinking more of stuff that I could like buy and wear. I've already written about silver jewelry, and things like obsidian and rowan tree wood, if anyone has any other ideas, they'd be much appreciated!!

Have a great day lovely people

Hello there,

I am a Film student and I am currently conducting research about Samhain, for an " audio podcast " :) and I can't say I am satisfied by the stuff a found on internet, idk why. That's why I am asking here for help, maybe there's someone who is willing to talk to me, give me some info, some experiences perhaps, like an interview of sorts, for Samhain. Additionally, I'll be going to Ireland in a few weeks, maybe we could arrange a meet up and I can borrow some time of your day for that purpose. ANY help is much much much appreciated. Thanks 😁

Does anyone remember the folklore that your parents used to tell you, i’m actually not sure if this would be a folklore! It was about a witch who ate bad children, her named was (Heck-ah-teg) I try to look up her name but can’t find anything. Does anyone know how to spell it?

I thought you guys might enjoy this one.

I am very interested in German folklore/sagas and today i had the urge to compile the ones I have found that mention the old gods.
Unlike Scandinavia, the German regions basically had most of their pagan oral tradition destroyed before it could be written down, so very little remains. So I hope you guys enjoy this little sliver of pagan legends I managed to compile.
Sources are included in the doc too!

Pagan stories in Germany - Google Docs

(i hope the link works)

Is there any folklore about a creature that lives in the forest that will grant wishes in exchange for blood or something like that? Something with a Wendigo/Wechuge vibe. I'm not sure if something like this exists, but it's for a story I'm working on.

So I've been to a store nearby me a couple times and I've taken note of a couple books I've seen that caught my interest but wanted to know if they were, at least somewhat accurate or reliable about the histories/mythology/folklore they're covering

The first is "Classical Mythology from A to Z An Encyclopedia of Gods & Goddesses, Heroes & Heroines, Nymphs, Spirits, Monsters, and Places"

It's a big book, and has some really good looking illustration. I've wanted to pick it up but have held off. I wanted to make sure it was at least on the more accurate side of what it is covering rather than something too toned down or mysticised. I'm genuinely interested in learning about things and don't want something that leans into it being something to point and gawk at (granted it doesn't happen as much with this type of folklore/mythology given it's Hellenic, but I still don't want the misinformation that usually comes with it).

The next one is "Death and the Afterlife: A Chronological Journey, from Cremation to Quantum Resurrection"

It seems a bit odd to be here, but the description goes into it being about death, and even mentions the Maya by name. Again, it's not something I want to gawk at. I wanna learn about how different peoples and cultures and the like saw and treated death and wanted to make sure that this was at least accurate to the folklore of why certain peoples did what they did.

The last two are a little questionable on if I should include for this subreddit (I'm happy to move these two somewhere else for the info) but I will ask just to be safe. First is "The Occult Book: A Chronological Journey from Alchemy to Wicca" The second being "A History of Magic, Witchcraft, and the Occult (DK A History of)"

Again, like the last two, I am interested in the folklore and history of magi(k)c throughout the years, especially in folklore, but want to avoid missinfo/sensationalism of it.

I'm also happy to take any suggestions for books to get instead of these if they're not great, or anything to add in addition.

So background, I’m going to be in a ttrpg campaign based in the American frontier around the mid-late 19th century. It’s mostly grounded in reality but with some magical elements based on American settler and native folklore. I was hoping to play a sort of revenant character (died violently and was returned to life through some sort of magic/curse/force of nature), but I’m struggling to find specific examples of revenant like creatures in American folklore. Even though it’s set in the west I’m also open to Appalachian folklore.

https://www.instagram.com/thequietorchard/

She lives in a caravan in the wilds of wales and posts folklore, she also makes little hand-sewn books of folk tales.

And

https://www.instagram.com/morvern.studios/

She is a printmaker from Scotland who tells mostly Scottish lore. Click videos / reels icon to see all the folklore/folk tales she’s posted.

Im in no way affiliated with them and simply follow them on insta, sharing as a resource for folklore and folk tales.

Hi everyone! I'm hoping I'm in the right place for some book recommendations, I've already tried giving it a Google but haven't had much luck so far so I was hoping Reddit might know of some hidden gems; I'm looking for any books that are queer retellings of Celtic myth/folklore, Welsh in particular if possible, and any books/articles about queerness in mythology/folklore in general. Thanks very much in advance! : )

One I loved was ‘The siren wife’ in Italo Calvinos ‘Italian folk tales’.

Imagine that amaterasu and tsukuyomi saw sköll and Hati chasing after the moon and the sun except it's their japanese mythology's sun and moon that they are owning it and it's not norse mythology sun and moon so amaterasu and tsukuyomi are going have to deal with Sköll and Hati to stop them to trying to eat their sun and moon?

(If you know these japanese mythology and norse mythology, then you might now them)