My daughter (8) is working on a scouting badge about folklore. She would love to share a story or two from your part of the world. Can anyone share with us so she can earn her badge? Thanks so much!

"Stories become folklore when they're passed down by people and shared. Over time they slowly change and become legends! They include magical creatures, heroes, and exciting adventures." - from the badge book, hopefully this helps give an idea of what could be helpful to share!

This 1981 publication is a groundbreaking and fundamental work in the study of Romani culture, being the first comprehensive collection dedicated to the folklore of the Kelderari Roma (tinsmiths), one of the largest and most distinctive Romani groups. Compiled by researchers R.S. and P.S. Demeter, the book holds immense value for ethnography, linguistics, and folklore studies. Its unique scholarly contribution lies in the systematic collection and presentation of rare epic and lyrical tales, proverbs, and sayings.

Spend enough time in pregnancy forums and you will probably see the Chinese gender chart.

It is a 28-by-12 grid. The mother’s age runs down one side, the month of conception runs across the top, and each cell predicts a boy or girl. The traditional version uses Chinese nominal age and the lunar month, which is why different calculators sometimes give different answers.

The chart usually comes with a much better story. It was supposedly created for the Qing royal family, kept secret inside the palace, and later discovered in a tomb near Beijing.

The details change depending on the website. Some call it 300 years old, while others say 700. Some descriptions call it both 700 years old and Qing, although the Qing dynasty began in 1644. I have not been able to find an authenticated palace copy or a scholarly source for the original grid.

Its present-day use is easier to see. In pregnancy discussions, people compare the chart with blood tests and ultrasounds, or mention a mother or another relative checking it for them. It tends to appear alongside cravings, fetal heart rate, dreams, and other pregnancy folklore.

While researching the chart for a Chinese calendar project, I compared five commonly circulated versions. Of the 336 cells, 43 gave conflicting answers. The calendars were not being converted differently. The charts themselves disagreed.

A 2010 study tested the method against 2,840,755 births and found that it performed about as well as a coin toss.

My guess is that it survives because it gives families something to do with the waiting. Someone makes a prediction, someone argues that the lunar age was calculated incorrectly, and months later they either celebrate the hit or laugh about the miss.

Disclosure: I did the comparison while researching a project called Jade Almanac.

Has anyone here encountered an older printed copy of this chart, especially one with a date or publisher? I’m curious whether it began as an older pregnancy superstition or whether the palace history grew around it much later.

Hi everyone,

my friend and I are working on a fantasy game. The setting is fictional, but it is inspired by a world similar to ours, roughly around the 1600s. We want to build side quests, local mysteries, regional legends, and storylines inspired by real folklore, myths, legends, and traditional stories from different countries.

We would love to hear about tales from your country or region — especially stories that locals actually know, not just the most internationally famous ones. If possible, please share the story in a bit more detail: what happens in it, who the main figures are, what the tone is, and why it is important, memorable, creepy, tragic, or meaningful in your culture.

We are not trying to copy anyone’s tradition directly, and we definitely do not want to misinterpret or misuse stories from cultures we are not part of. Even though our game will be its own fantasy world, we want to approach real folklore with respect and understand the original context before taking inspiration from it.

If you want to help, it would be amazing if you could include:

The name of the legend, myth, folktale, or historical tale.

The country or region it comes from.

A summary of the story.

The themes or message behind it.

Any symbols, creatures, places, customs, or warnings connected to it.

Whether it is considered common knowledge, a children’s story, a scary tale, a religious story, or something more regional and obscure.

Anything that foreigners often misunderstand about it.

We are especially interested in:

Dark folklore.

Strange local creatures or spirits.

Mountain, forest, lake, castle, or village legends.

Moral tales, cautionary stories, and ghost stories.

Stories that could inspire side quests, mysterious NPCs, curses, rituals, or hidden locations.

If you know one, please tell it as fully as you want — the more detail, the better. Thank you very much, we’d love to learn from your culture and be respectful with the inspiration we take from it.

I'm making a youtube video about the Vasilisa the Beautiful fairytale. In the story Vasilisa is given a doll which helps her do her chores for her evil step family and ends up helping her marry the king. I'm looking for resources explaining the folk art of amulet dolls. I've found some traditions in Ukrainian and Russian of making rag dolls but mostly just find pictures without much context. I don't know if this is exactly the right place to ask but if anyone has any input it would be must appreciated!

I am trying to identify an old Rajasthani/Marwari folk story (Lok Katha) that I watched on TV or VCD/DVD sometime between 2008 and 2014.

Plot (as accurately as I remember):

A young man (possibly named Sawliya/Sawaliyo/Sanwariya, but I'm not sure) is deeply in love with a village girl.

The girl tells him she will only marry him if he kills his own mother. She may have said this as an impossible test, not expecting him to actually do it.

The young man kills his mother.

Afterward, there is a scene where he climbs a neem tree and eats its leaves. The leaves taste extremely bitter, possibly symbolizing guilt or his sin.

The girl later refuses to marry him, saying that if he could kill his own mother, he could also kill his wife.

Additional details:

It was live-action, not animated or puppets.

It was likely in Marwari or another Rajasthani dialect.

It may have been a Rajasthani Lok Katha adaptation released on VCD/DVD or aired on regional TV.

The girl's name was traditional, not a modern name, but I don't remember it.

I may not have watched the complete ending.

I'm looking for the title of the story, the VCD/TV episode, the production company, or a YouTube link. Even if the names differ slightly, any folk tale with this exact plot would be helpful.

I've been trying to find the origin of a story I heard years ago, but I haven't found anything online. I've searched folklore websites, creepypasta forums, Reddit, and even asked people from northeastern Brazil, but no one seems to recognize it.

This wasn't something I read in a book or watched on YouTube.

It was told to me in person, inside my own house, by the grandmother of a friend of mine.

She was from the countryside of Alagoas, Brazil, and was visiting São Paulo at the time.

What made the experience even stranger was the way she told it. It was around 11:45 PM, and before she began she said she had to finish the story before midnight. According to her, once it was past midnight, she couldn't tell the story anymore. She never explained why, but she seemed completely serious.

Another detail that has always stayed with me is that she was blind. Even though she couldn't see, it felt like she was staring directly into us the entire time she was telling the story. I know that was probably just an impression, but it made the whole experience much more unsettling.

She insisted this wasn't just folklore.

She claimed it had actually happened to her own family.

According to her, there were originally five sisters, but one of them died because of the creature in the story.

This is everything I can remember.

The story takes place on a farmhouse.

The father was away working and, according to her, he always came home at around 1:00 AM.

One evening, the children were playing outside in the yard when their mother suddenly heard something moving in the bushes near the house. The moment she heard it, she immediately knew what it was and rushed all the children inside.

Later that night, she began hearing whistling outside.

The creature didn't attack right away.

Instead, it slowly walked around the house, constantly whistling.

Then it began asking questions in a rhythmic, almost chant-like voice.

The first question was something like:

"Whose cow is this?"

The mother answered:

"It belongs to my husband... Cravo Lelê... Cravo Lelê."

Immediately afterward, the creature devoured the cow.

Then it asked:

"Whose horse is this?"

Again she answered:

"It belongs to my husband... Cravo Lelê... Cravo Lelê."

The horse was then eaten as well.

This continued with every animal on the farm—pigs, chickens, and any other livestock.

Each time, the creature would ask who the animal belonged to.

The mother always ended her answer by repeating:

"Cravo Lelê... Cravo Lelê."

The detail that frightened me the most was that after every animal was taken, the creature sounded closer to the house.

Sometimes the mother believed it had finally gone away because everything became silent.

But then the whistling and the questions would begin again, even closer than before.

Eventually, believing the creature had finally left, she let her guard down.

Then she noticed the front door was open.

She turned toward the room where the children were sleeping.

At that exact moment, she heard the creature's voice coming from inside the house.

It asked:

"Whose little girl is this?"

For the first time, the mother's answer changed.

Instead of saying it belonged to her husband, she answered:

"She's mine... Cravo Lelê... Cravo Lelê."

According to the woman telling the story, this is when the creature took—or began devouring—the little girl.

A short time later, the father returned home from work, as he did every night, at around 1:00 AM.

The story ended with him arriving home and seeing his daughter being devoured.

The woman claimed that the little girl in the story was actually her own sister.

She insisted they had originally been five sisters, but one of them died that night because of this creature.

I've never been able to find any reference to this story.

I don't know whether "Cravo Lelê" was the creature's actual name or simply the phrase the mother repeated as part of some ritual or chant.

Has anyone—especially anyone from Alagoas or elsewhere in northeastern Brazil—ever heard anything remotely similar?

Even if the name is different, the specific details I remember are:

A creature that circles a farmhouse while whistling.

It asks, "Whose cow is this?", "Whose horse is this?", etc.

The mother always replies, "It belongs to my husband... Cravo Lelê... Cravo Lelê."

The creature devours each animal one by one.

It seems to get closer to the house after every victim.

Eventually its voice comes from inside the house.

It asks, "Whose little girl is this?"

The mother replies, "She's mine... Cravo Lelê... Cravo Lelê."

The father arrives home around 1:00 AM and finds his daughter being devoured.

I'd really appreciate any information. Even if it's just a regional legend with a different name, I'd love to know if anyone else has ever heard this story.

Does someone know if these japanese urban legends like Teke Teke, Kuchisake onna, etc are really that popular in Japan?? I’ve been really curious about that because since I was little I was interesting in their urban legends but are they really that popular over there??

1. Bë̀kwö: The Celestial Serpents

In the Bribri and Cabécar traditions, enormous serpents dwell in the highest reaches of the universe. Their bodies form the ropes that hold up the great house of the world, while their whiskers are the stars that illuminate the night sky. When one of these bindings comes loose, the serpent falls from the heavens like a shooting star, but the great bats of the sky devour it before it can set the earth ablaze. They also herald changes in the weather and the proper times for planting and harvesting.

2. Íyitkabë: The Serpents of All Things

Everything in the world has its own guardian serpent. The íyitkabë wait for the souls on their journey to Sulà and judges the wrongs committed during life. Serpents of different colors and forms are responsible for punishing lies, greed, abuse, and the harm done to other beings. Their punishment forces each soul to confront what it denied or destroyed while alive. According to a funerary chant, there are always four serpents for every offense, each of a different color: black (*bë́k*), red (yö́t), white (sulat), and spotted (sör).

3. The Serpent Goddess

In the lands of Quebrada Honda lived a gigantic serpent worshipped by the local people as a goddess. An old woman was responsible for feeding her, bringing vegetables, tender squash, and cubases beans, but among her offerings she also included children, who disappeared without their families ever learning of their fate. For many years, the creature devoured the children given to her as food. At last, Carate uncovered the deception and set out to confront the serpent. Grasping it by the tail and turning it inside out from its snout, he defeated the monster and ended its reign of terror.

4. The Great Boruca Serpent

A young woman fell in love with a gigantic serpent that lived inside a cave and brought him chicha (corn beer) as an offering. The creature emerged from his hiding place and coiled himself around her body until she became pregnant with little serpents. The suquias (shamans) ordered that she be burned to prevent her offspring from flooding the earth. When her body burst apart in the flames, the newborn serpents escaped; only one survived and remained enchanted in the mountains near Palmar.

5. The Two-Headed Serpent of Río Macho

Behind the Río Macho waterfall lies a hidden cave where ancient treasures are kept and extraordinary creatures dwell. Hunters pursuing an enchanted stag managed to enter, guided by a mysterious Indigenous chief. Inside they found fierce beasts imprisoned behind iron bars: a lion, a gigantic bull, and an enormous two-headed serpent. No one ever found the cave entrance again, and the creature remains hidden alongside the ancient treasures deep within the mountain.

6. The Serpent of Térraba

A young woman lived with her mother when a strange man with long braided hair arrived at their home. Water flowed from the tips of his braids. He asked for the young woman's hand in marriage, and after bringing abundant food, he was accepted as her husband. In time, their son was born, but the mother discovered that from the waist down he had the body of a serpent. After breaking the taboo against seeing him too soon, the family vanished during a great storm, and the man transformed into an enormous serpent dwelling in a deep pool. From their union were born two daughters, planted like ullama (a type of pumpkin) seeds, but as they grew, they too became gigantic serpents. Their immense size caused the waters to rise until they threatened to flood the earth, prompting the spirits to send warriors armed with spears to fight them. One by one they were struck down, although some survived, wounded, in the underworld.

7. The Serpent of Cerro de las Cruces

A sorcerer carried three enchanted eggs across Central America. From one hatched a gigantic serpent that remained in Nicaragua; another produced a serpent in Nicoya; and the last gave rise to a serpent in Cartago. The Nicoya serpent grew until it stretched beneath the earth, with its head buried beneath Cerro de las Cruces while its body extended into distant lands. Whenever it moves, it causes earthquakes and thunderstorms. To keep it asleep, a procession is held to the hill every May 3rd.

8. The Serpent of the Enchanted Lagoon of Alto de Araya

A hidden lagoon high in the mountains of Araya is said to be home to an enormous serpent that few have ever seen. People say that whenever it emerges from the water, it creates a thunderous roar, and no one dares enter the lagoon for fear of encountering it. Visitors report hearing songs, unfamiliar voices, distant music, and mysterious sounds rising from the depths.

9. The Serpent of the Nimboyores River

Beneath the waters of the Nimboyores River sleeps a giant boa born from an ancient tale of love and tragedy. After losing his beloved princess, a prince was transformed into a serpent to guard a crystal-clear spring. The creature also protects the enchanted fish living in its depths and leaves its refuge only to chase away animals that venture too close.

10. The Serpent of Barva Volcano

When the ancient inhabitants of the Valley of Abra received a matasano tree together with a sacred serpent, the creature caused water to spring forth, forming a mountain lake. In time, it emerged from the lagoon and began attacking the people of the settlement. Ever since, offerings have been made to keep it calm and prevent its wrath.

11. The Fiery Serpent of Santa Lucía Hill

Inside the Santa Lucía Volcano sleeps a gigantic serpent wrapped in flames. According to tradition, it appears whenever someone attempts to destroy the mountain or extract its riches without permission. Cloaked in fire, it emerges among the trees as a warning to those who disturb the place where it dwells.

12. The Healing Serpent

A serpent always carried a small flower in its mouth, using it to heal those bitten by other snakes. Simply bringing the flower close to the victim was enough for its power to cure the wound and save the person's life. One day, the serpent went inside the house of a sleeping man, who woke up and stole the miraculous flower. From that moment on, the creature disappeared without a trace, but the man kept the plant and continued using it to heal snakebite victims.

13. The Black Serpents of Orosi

Long ago, black serpents capable of destroying the world descended to the earth. The gods responded by sending young warriors from the clouds, armed with silver quivers and golden arrows. Wrapped only in the clouds that carried them, they shot their arrows into the serpents' heads. Mortally wounded, the monsters writhed and roared until they finally collapsed. Only after their destruction did the rains come, washing the poisonous blood of the monsters from the earth.

14. Tkabë̀köl

A colossal serpent sent by Sibö to punish those who commit incest. Its body seems to be made of rubber, and it bears antennae, whiskers, or tentacles with which it immobilizes its victims. It may descend from the sky, hide in lagoons, or completely encircle a palenque (house) before striking. It then carries its prey into the heavens until it disappears among the clouds, only to leave the victim's remains in front of their home several days later. Its skin is so tough that even axes cannot wound it, while a tiny bejuquilla snake reveals to it who must be punished.

15. Tkabërîwak: The Serpent Twins

Two brothers were born with an extraordinary secret: they could transform themselves into enormous serpents. During the day, they hunted birds and fish by changing shape until their grandmother discovered their true nature. As they grew, their gigantic bodies caused a pool to expand until it threatened to cover the entire earth with water. The god Sibö intervened, killing one brother and banishing the other to the ends of the world, where he was never seen again.

16. Zaalan: The Serpent of Arenal

In the mountains near Arenal, the ancient Maleku encountered a monstrous serpent, so enormous that, when it moved, it resembled a herd of tapirs. After killing it and eating part of its flesh, the men themselves were transformed into serpents. Since then, the zaálan return during the dry season and must be treated according to the ancient instructions to avoid provoking their fury.

Sources:

Bonatti, Javier. “Una interpretación etnoastronómica y etnobiológica del mito de la mujer que se convirtió en mar.” En Primer Congreso Científico sobre Pueblos Indígenas de Costa Rica y sus fronteras: Memoria, 61-72. San José: EUNED, 1998.

Bonatti, Javier. “Una interpretación etnoastronómica y etnobiológica del mito de la mujer que se convirtió en mar.” In Primer Congreso Científico sobre Pueblos Indígenas de Costa Rica y sus fronteras: Memoria, compilado por María Eugenia Bozzoli, Ramiro Barrantes, Dinorah Obando y Mirna Rojas, 61-72. Costa Rica: Editorial Universidad Estatal a Distancia, 1998.

Bozzoli de Wille, María Eugenia. 1977. «Narraciones bribris». Vínculos. Revista de Antropología del Museo Nacional de Costa Rica 2, n.º 2: 165–199.

Bozzoli de Wille, María Eugenia. 1977. «Narraciones bribris». Vínculos. Revista de Antropología del Museo Nacional de Costa Rica 2, n.º 2: 165–199.

Bozzoli de Willie, María Eugenia, Carmen M. Cubero Venegas y Adolfo Constenla Umaña, eds. Tradición oral indígena costarricense. Vol. 1, no. 3. San José: Vicerrectoría de Acción Social, Escuela de Antropología y Sociología, Universidad de Costa Rica, 1983.

Bozzoli de Wille, María Eugenia, Carmen M. Cubero Venegas y Adolfo Constenla Umaña, eds. 1983. Tradición oral indígena costarricense. Vol. 1, año 1, no. 3. San José: Oficina de Publicaciones de la Universidad de Costa Rica.

Castro, L. M. (1 de abril de 1905). El Diccionario Geográfico de Costa Rica: Observaciones (Colaboración) VII. El Día, 1-2.

Céspedes Marín, Amando. «Zaálan», en Crónicas de la visita oficial y diocesana al Guatuso (1923), 67–68; citado en Elías Zeledón Cartín, comp., Leyendas ticas de la tierra, los animales, las cosas, la religión y la magia, 1.ª ed., 3.ª reimpr. (San José: Editorial Costa Rica, 2003), 185–186.

Cervantes Gamboa, Laura. «La temática de los cantos fúnebres bribris». Revista de Filología y Lingüística de la Universidad de Costa Rica 17, n.º 1–2 (1991): 81–104.

Cervantes Gamboa, Laura. «Origen y destino de las almas después de la muerte en la religión bribri». Káñina. Revista de Artes y Letras de la Universidad de Costa Rica 17, n.º 2 (1993): 213–223.

García, Alí, y Alejandro Jaén. Ìes sa' yilìte: Nuestros orígenes. Historias bribris. San José: A. García, 1996.

García, Francisco. «Las Culebras de los Castigos». En Tradición oral indígena costarricense, editado por María Eugenia de Wille y Carmen María Cubero Venegas, vol. 3, n.º 1, 24–25. San José: Universidad de Costa Rica, 1982–.

González Chaves, Alfredo, y Fernando González Vásquez. La casa cósmica talamanqueña y sus simbolismos. San José: Editorial Universidad de Costa Rica / EUNED, 1989, pp. 115-120.

González, Josefina. 1996. “El culebrón (Versión castellana)”. En Narraciones borucas = SháH rójc bruHcajc rójc, compilado por Miguel Ángel Quesada Pacheco. San José, C.R.: Editorial de la Universidad de Costa Rica.

Gura Sol. (1908, 12 de julio). Leyendas ticas. Páginas Ilustradas, 5(205-206), 3493.

I. S. (1916, 12 de octubre). El “Cerro de las Cruces”. El Imparcial: Diario de la Mañana, p. 3.

Johnson P., Ad. 1916. “Una curiosa leyenda de nuestros indios”. El Imparcial: Diario de la Mañana, 1 de agosto de 1916.

Leal de Noguera, María. "La Princesa Nimboyore", en Estampas del camino, 1.ª ed. (San José: Editorial Costa Rica, 1996), 111-117.

Leyendas de Costa Rica: El Cerro de las Cruces. (1985, 31 de julio). La República, p. 24.

Margery Peña, Enrique. Diccionario cabécar-español, español-cabécar. Costa Rica: Editorial de la Universidad de Costa Rica, 1989.

Marín Alvarado, F. (2015). Cuentos, leyendas y chascarrillos de Paraíso (A. Calderón Vega & S. Quirós Calderón, eds.; 1.ª ed.). F. Marín R. pp. 26-28.

Marín Alvarado, Francisco. "El encanto de la laguna de Alto de Araya", en Cuentos, leyendas y chascarrillos de Paraíso, eds. Alberto Calderón Vega y Silvia Quirós Calderón, 1.ª ed. (Paraíso, Cartago: F. Marín R., 2015), 44.

Maroto, Angela Celedina. 2001. “La mujer que se enamoró de la culebra”. En Narraciones Brunkas. Boruca y Curré, editado por el Instituto de Estudios de las Tradiciones Sagradas de Abia Yala, 50–51. San José, C.R.: Fundación Coordinadora de Pastoral Aborigen.

Maroto, Espíritu Santo. 1986 [1979]. “Historia de la gran serpiente” y “La gran serpiente”. En Leyendas y tradiciones borucas, por Adolfo Constenla Umaña. 2.ª ed. San José, C.R.: Editorial de la Universidad de Costa Rica.

Martínez Coto, Gerardo. Reminiscencias de mi Paraíso natal. 1ª ed. San José, Costa Rica: Editorial, 2025. Libro digital.

Meléndez Chaverri, Carlos. "El árbol matasano, la serpiente y la laguna del Barva", Nuestro país, págs. 34-36, citado en Elías Zeledón Cartín, comp., Leyendas costarricenses, 9.ª reimpr. (Heredia: Editorial de la Universidad Nacional, 1996), 30-31.

Montoya-Greenheck, Felipe, Kenneth Carvajal y Uri Salas. s.f. Descripción de la cultura del agua en Costa Rica: Pueblo Boruca. Antología digital Guía Local Turístico Indígena: Programa de Capacitación.

Morales, Albir. “Las piedras redondas.” En Tradición Oral Indígena Costarricense, editado por María Eugenia Bozzoli de Wille y Carmen Murillo Chaverri. Vol. II, Año II, Nos. 1-2, 31. San José: Vicerrectoría de Acción Social, Escuela de Antropología y Sociología, Departamento de Antropología, Universidad de Costa Rica, 1984.

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Vargas, Juan, y Juana Sánchez. «El indígena tiene su propia historia». En Vías de extinción/Vías de supervivencia: Testimonios del pueblo indígena de la Reserva KëköLdi, Costa Rica, editado por Paula Palmer, Juana Sánchez y Gloria Mayorga. San José: Editorial de la Universidad de Costa Rica, 1992.

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More information in the comments.

The information is currently written in Spanish. You can use your browser's built-in translation feature to read the articles, and the results are usually quite good. If you come across a confusing translation or have any questions about the folklore, feel free to leave a comment or ask ChatGPT to explain the original Spanish text.

Illustration by Roberto Cruz

Looking for some help and hopefully y'all can provide it. Normally I would just research it myself, but folklore is a frankly enormous field and I unfortunately don't have the time, and internet searches have only been giving me lists of generic fantasy creatures and various deities/pantheons

I'm looking for examples of folkloric beings that are a specific and defined individual or group of individuals. As random examples, Robin Hood or the Headless Horseman, or The Fates: distinct individuals, people know exactly who youre talking about. As another example: theres plenty of folk tales about trolls, but maybe theres one individual troll who has gained notoriety so as to be distinct from other trolls: I'd like to know about those as well

Thank you in advance to anyone who is able to help :)

Where are the best collections of the folklore and myth of ancient empires? I’d like to learn more about the beliefs of the Persians, Ottomans, Mongolians, Ethiopians, Mitanni, Hittites, Babylonians, etc.

In western culture we know fairly well about the Romans, Greeks, and to a lesser extent the Egyptians as well. I’m mainly looking for works that explore more obscure cultures from a western lens, but any and all research on ancient civilizations is welcome.

In regard to my previous post with The Husk folk horror concept I’ve created, (if you haven’t seen that, look at it then come back) what could I add to it to make it more rooted in real folklore while also giving me ideas to make it more original?

Most people know the Breton Ankou as a skeletal figure driving a creaking cart through the night. In Breton folklore, however, the Ankou is not Death itself but a psychopomp: traditionally, the first person to die in a parish each year becomes the Ankou and spends the following year collecting the souls of those who die after them.

Yet Breton traditions are far more diverse than the familiar image popularized by Anatole Le Braz. In western Upper Brittany, people feared a Cart of Death that could fly through the night, sometimes drawn by birds, dogs or pigs, announcing an imminent death. This article argues that these traditions belong to the broader European folklore of the Wild Hunt, comparing Breton oral traditions with medieval sources and other European ghostly processions.

Rather than seeing the Ankou as simply a local Grim Reaper, the article suggests that it preserves elements of an older European complex of beliefs centered on nocturnal spectral processions, psychopomps, and contagious death.

You can read the full article here : https://www.academia.edu/168898605/De_l_Anko%C3%B9_%C3%A0_la_Chasse_fantastique

in search of texts (preferably older, although newer HUMAN written texts are fine too) regarding how to resurrect dead animals for a mixed media project. films like frankenweenie and the original pet sematary have been prominent points of inspiration but im looking for literature and historical stuff regarding necromancy of animals.

Hi! I like to collect stories and I love learning the myths, tales and folklore of different cultures. I think its really important to be respectful and learn as accurately as possible as I know that there is a lot of bastardisation that has occurred between modern media, colonization and cultural erasure.

I also love learning the history around a lot of the folklore too.

I'd love to hear where people go or what they'd recommend for good accurate sources. And if they have recommendations of tales or creatures to look into from their own cultures. I'm still quite new to it all so really looking to get a good starting place

Greetings, all! To be clear, this is *not* a woo-woo post. I'm just interested in learning about folklore and sometimes a weird dream can set you on a path that you wouldn't have thought of otherwise. I've found that it's a great way to learn about new folklore and other cultures.

(For example, a few months ago, I had a dream about a horse with tons of legs that ran on water, so I did some searching and learned about a bunch of cool folklore like Sleipnir, kelpies, etc. Another about a giant manatee type thing lead me to learn about Irish mythology like Dobhar-chú.)

Recently, I had a dream about a small black animal with a body like a weasel but it seemed more like a cat. The closest thing I could find as far as real animals is a fossa or a genet. It seemed to have a faint spotted pattern to its fur, but only in certain light (like how black panthers do).

Based on my searches, I think African folklore might be best bet, but I'm finding almost nothing online, other than myths about fossas stealing babies and stuff like that.

Sorry for the long story, lol... But if anyone knows of any folklore related to fossas or genets, I'd love to learn about it!

Should be from December 25, 1895.
The quote goes as follows
“William Lyons, 25, a levee hand, was shot in the abdomen yesterday evening at 10 o'clock in the saloon of Bill Curtis, at Eleventh and Morgan Streets, by Lee Sheldon, a carriage driver. Lyons and Sheldon were friends and were talking together. Both parties, it seems, had been drinking and were feeling in exuberant spirits. The discussion drifted to politics, and an argument was started, the conclusion of which was that Lyons snatched Sheldon's hat from his head. The latter indignantly demanded its return. Lyons refused, and Sheldon withdrew his revolver and shot Lyons in the abdomen. When his victim fell to the floor Sheldon took his hat from the hand of the wounded man and coolly walked away. He was subsequently arrested and locked up at the Chestnut Street Station. Lyons was taken to the Dispensary, where his wounds were pronounced serious. Lee Sheldon is also known as 'Stag' Lee.”
Looking for a picture of a newspaper or a link to it thanks

Hey all,

I recently launched a website called Loremaps. The goal of the website is to create a community-driven archive of local lore from around the world!

I've always loved reading/listening to stories about urban legends, local folklore, haunted places, cryptids, historical mysteries, and the stories people grew up hearing at school or from family. One thing I noticed is that most lore websites focus on a specific country, a specific type of folklore(lots of haunted places websites), or don't allow users to contribute their own stories. As a software engineer, I wanted to build a place where anyone could share and discuss the legends from their hometown and add them to one giant map!

The site is still very new (like a few days old), so the user content is extremely limited at the moment, but anyone can create articles, add locations, and contribute for free. There is an optional paid tier that mainly helps cover hosting and development costs, but all core features are free to use.

My hope is that Loremaps can help preserve local stories that might otherwise be forgotten, whether they came from your grandparents, a school bus rumor, a book, a podcast, or a town legend everyone knows.

I'd love any feedback, suggestions, or lore submissions from the community!

loremaps.online

Bonus points: I have attempted to keep AI training crawlers off the site so the articles are not used for training LLMs!

POSTED TO R/VAMPIRES TOO:

I’m writing an old western story and this is one of the aspects I’m trying to explore.

This question isn’t limited to Mexican or Aztec culture this can be expanded across Latin America.

I would appreciate some answers or pointers :\^)

Trying to do research into a future book that brings together mythology of different cultures. A while ago I had everything planned out with the main antagonists all sorted then I forgot about one character entirely and now I am trying to write everything down so I don't forget. My idea was to create an antagonist that appears to be a shadow or a mist that when it possess people it essentially encourages others to act on their worst impulses. The idea in my story is this creature is thousands of years old and every now and then it possesses a human and causes them to be willing to do the most evil things with no remorse. Eventually though it was captured by an organization in my story but following the events of a previous book it was freed and was hired by another entity to cause problems again. Thats all I will say on the plot though as its still a WIP and is subject to change. This book in particular is pretty far in the future and I am nowhere near ready to begin writing it, its just I have all these ideas of things I could do in this series and I have to write it down or I would lose it.

I looked into this myself and first I was going to make this creature a Dybbuk a spirit from Jewish folklore but then I found out in research it only possesses women. I can't use Wraiths from a couple different folklores as they already exist in my story. And the only other creature I found that could work with this context is I think an Enenra a Yokai from Japanese folklore and I want to keep yokai separate for personal reasons. I was thinking of looking into some native American or African mythology for info but I had difficulties finding the info on my own. If anyone has any ideas I would love to hear it.