The Yule Lads: Iceland’s Thirteen Christmas Trolls, Their Ancient Origins, and the Law That Tried to Ban Them
Iceland has thirteen Father Christmases. They do not live at the North Pole. They do not have workshops staffed by […]
European
The Yule Cat: The Icelandic Giant Who Eats Anyone Who Does Not Receive New Clothes Before Christmas
The Yule Cat, Jólakötturinn in Icelandic, is one of the most unusual figures in Christmas folklore and one of the
Perchta: The Alpine Christmas Witch Who Inspects Your Spinning, Rewards the Diligent, and Disembowels Everyone Else
Perchta is a supernatural figure from the Alpine tradition of Austria, Bavaria, and Switzerland whose activities are concentrated in the
Sintra: The Fairy Hill of Portugal and the Place Where the Supernatural Never Quite Left
Sintra is a town in the hills west of Lisbon that has been understood as a place of supernatural significance
The Black Ships of Lisbon: The Ghost Fleet Seen in the Tagus Before National Disaster
The Black Ships of Lisbon are a Portuguese omen tradition, a fleet of dark ghost ships seen sailing silently up
Sebastianism: The Portuguese Belief That a Dead King Would Return to Restore the Empire
Sebastianism is the messianic folk belief that King Sebastian I of Portugal, who disappeared at the Battle of Alcácer Quibir
Inês de Castro: The Woman Who Was Crowned Queen of Portugal After She Was Dead
Inês de Castro was a Galician noblewoman who became the lover of the Portuguese crown prince Dom Pedro in the
Capelobo: The Forest Monster of the Amazon With an Anteater’s Head and a Taste for Human Brains
The Capelobo is a creature from the folklore of the Amazon basin, particularly from the Brazilian states of Maranhão and
Boto: The Amazon Pink Dolphin That Transforms Into a Man and Seduces Women
The Boto is one of the most unusual supernatural figures in the Portuguese and Brazilian tradition, a creature that sits
Mula Sem Cabeça: The Headless Mule and the Woman Cursed for Her Sins With a Priest
The Mula Sem Cabeça, the Headless Mule, is one of the most distinctive creatures in Portuguese and Brazilian folklore, a