In Norwegian legend and folklore in the days before Yuletide, the Oskoreia ride through the skies. This ghostly horde of the restless dead and witches spreads terror through the wintry night sky. The Oskoreia is not dissimilar to the continental European legend of the “The Wild Hunt”. There is a common root throughout all these… Continue reading Norwegian Legend: the Oskoreia
Town of Tipperary - Amergin Bard “Are you a witch? Are you a Fairy? Or are you the wife of Michael Cleary?” These are the haunting lines of an Irish children’s dancing rhyme still remembered in modern Ireland today. It tells of a brutal murder, madness a strong belief in the Fair Folk. In Tipperary,… Continue reading Irish Folklore: The Fairy Wife
A samodiva (plural: samodivi) is a wood nymph from the Balkans, specifically in Bulgaria. Samodiva translates ‘samo’ (alone) and ‘diva’ (wild/divine). The first part of the name signifies avoidance of humans and the second part indicates the wild or divine nature. These nymphs are forest spirits who appear as beautiful young women. But the Samodivi… Continue reading Slavic Folklore: Samodivi
It’s that time of year again when 2023 Awards seasons rolls around. I have several works eligible in Horror and Fantasy categories for short fiction, Collections and Novelettes for the Aurealis Awards, Stoker Awards, British Fantasy Awards, Ditmar Awards, Australian Shadows Awards, Nebula Awards, Hugo Awards, Otherwise Awards, Shirley Jackson Awards & World Fantasy Awards.… Continue reading 2023 Awards Season
Nidhogg (Old Norse Níðhöggr, “He Who Strikes with Malice”) is one of several serpents or dragons in the Nine Worlds. The most famous serpent is Jormungand or the Midgard-serpent but Nidhogg is a dragon trapped beneath the Yggdrasil and constantly gnawing at its roots and corpses. Nidhogg is a force for chaos by destroying Yggdrasil,… Continue reading Norse Myth: Nidhogg
Funerary statue of a siren with a shell lyre, c. 370 BCE In Ancient Greek mythology, the sirens are vaguely described by various sources but are usually interpreted as being large birds with the heads of women. In the classic Ancient Greek legend The Odyssey attributed to Homer, the hero Odysseus’s ship is attacked by sirens… Continue reading Greek Myth: Sirens
May Day Hills Historic Asylum AsylumFest 2023 will be held October 27 - 29 in Mayday Hills located within Beechworth, Victoria. Mayday Hills operated from 1867 to 1995 and was one of the largest mental health facilities in the state, with over 1200 patients and 500 staff at its peak. Today, it is a heritage… Continue reading Asylumfest Horror Convention
Once Upon a Time… (in June 2013 to be exact) I posted on my FaceBook page about a workshop I had just delivered at the English Teachers Association … Happy 10th birthday AFTS!
I’ll be attending the 17th Conflux Speculative Fiction Convention in Canberra from 29th September - 3rd October, 2023. I’ll be in the Dealer’s Room - All weekend!! Book Promo — Cursed Shards edited by Leanbh Pearson with Stephen Herczeg, 29th September, Friday 5.30 pm. I’ll be on 3 panels: Entrances to Evil: Doors in Dark… Continue reading Conflux Convention
The Upiór is present in Slavic and Turkic folklore and resembles the vampire. The Upiór is depicted as a ravenous and insatiable creature with vampiric features. Belief in the Upiór may have spread across the Eurasian steppes through migrations with its origins in the regions surrounding the Volga River and the Pontic steppes. An Upiór… Continue reading Slavic Folklore: Upiór
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