MythCrafts
@mythcrafts.bsky.social
We are Mythologists who also love folklore, history, pop culture and anything weird and unusual. Mythcrafts.com
How old was Snow White? According to some of the first recorded accounts she was only 7 years old… mythcrafts.com/2025/03/07/s...
Snow White: Age is More Than Just a Number
Snow White is one of the staples of the modern fairytale cannon, and as a feminist, I would not be the first to take umbrage with some of the more troubling themes. The most obvious of these, as wi…
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Like the Sirens of Greek myth, Lore Lay’s haunting beauty and irresistible song proves to be too much for passing sailors. They become transfixed on the rocks above as their boats wreck in the treacherously shallow and narrowing waters below… mythcrafts.com/2023/01/15/t...
The Lure of the Lorelay
The Upper Middle Rhine Valley in Germany is a protected UNESCO World heritage site. Dotted with ancient castles and fortresses which were largely abandoned by the 17th Century this area b…
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The Butcher of Kashmir was succeeded by one of his sons, Zain-ul-Abidin, who was given the title of Bud Shaw – the Great King – among the majority of his subjects. So how did a a family undergo such a radical change of heart in just a generation? mythcrafts.com/2018/09/06/i...
In the End, Ashes: the Good King of Kashmir
Once upon a time in Kashmir, there was a Sultan (the VIth, to be precise) named Sikandar who was a religious zealot. He destroyed Hindu temples, persecuted his non-Muslim subjects, and banned their…
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There are many appearances of Macha in Irish mythology and folklore, and the academic consensus is that these are all tales of the same ancient Sovereignty Goddess. mythcrafts.com/2020/02/25/m...
Macha, the Morrígan, and the Curse of Ulster
Imagine this: you’re a peasant farmer living in Ulster, in Northern Ireland. Your wife died young, leaving you with small brood of children. Your house is in shambles; the kitchen’s a d…
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After escaping the Underworld, a host of demons follow Inanna. Eager to claim someone to take her place, she lets them drag her faithless husband Dumuzid to Hell. mythcrafts.com/2020/03/10/i...
Inanna Prefers the Farmer: Marriage, Sex and Divorce in Ancient Sumeria
Imagine this: two men, one a farmer, the other a shepherd, attempt to win divine affection. In the end, the deity favors the shepherd. Now, this might make you think of Cain and Abel from the Bibli…
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A tale about pink Casanova dolphins with hats was a fun folktale to find and explore. #FolkloreThursday mythcrafts.com/2020/05/22/c...
Cetaceans and the City: Dapper Dolphins and Human Hotties
Imagine this: You have Magic Powers. And instead of being celebrated, you are being vilified. By whom, you ask? The WWF. (That’s World Wildlife Federation, not to be confused with the former …
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A #FolkloreThursday visit to the dentist seems like the perfect time to share the terrifying concept of 'tooth worms'. Believed to be responsible for toothache and decay, dating back to Babylonian times. These 18th century carvings are the thing of nightmares. 😱😱
Spatial recently announced it is closing its creator platform. This means that @culturalfutureshub.bsky.social will also close. Join us us to mark the end of an era, and reflect on building better cultural futures: Thurs 18 June 5:30-6:30pm BST FREE TICKETS: www.eventbrite.com/e/the-cultur...
#FolkloreThursday is 11 years old on 18th June! Celebrate with us by sharing your favourite folklore to the hashtag between 9am-4.30pm and 6.30-7.30pm BST and join us for the final @culturalfutureshub.bsky.social 5.30-6.30pm BST. Tickets: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-cultur... (Image:James Petts)
If you do any digging into the history of Robotics, you’ll eventually hear the tale of Talos, a ‘machine’ that guarded the Isle of Crete. mythcrafts.com/2024/02/29/a...
Ancient Cyborgs: Talos, More Human than Human
If you do any digging into the history of Robotics, you’ll eventually hear the tale of Talos, a ‘machine’ that guarded the Isle of Crete. Now, let’s consider the tale as tol…
mythcrafts.com
As a goddess, Seshat was tasked with presiding over all that was written. She ruled the entire domain of the written word, overseeing its use in the mortal world, the celestial heavens, and the realm of the dead. mythcrafts.com/2025/03/13/g...
Goddess Seshat: She Who is Foremost in the Library
The Goddess Seshat was related to Thoth, the God of wisdom and learning, who brought writing and Hieroglyphs to the Egyptian people. Most accounts consider Seshat to be Thoth’s daughter, but …
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In the late 1950’s, two Italian brothers set up a space listening station in an abandoned Nazi bunker. They claim to have received and recorded transmissions from “Lost Cosmonauts”, explorers whose deaths they maintain were covered up… mythcrafts.com/2018/10/18/s...
Space Ghosts: the Judica-Cordiglia Brothers’ Lost Cosmonauts
There are easy ways out of our mortal coils: dying in one’s sleep, carbon monoxide poisoning, or as rumor has it, pulling a Genghis Khan, which while potentially traumatic for one’s par…
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For thousands of years, the giant catfish Namazu swam around in the rivers that ran beneath the earth. As he wriggled his fat body through the muddy waters everything above trembled and shook. mythcrafts.com/2019/07/12/c...
Catfish and Earthquake Predictions; the Mythology of Namazu.
In Japanese mythology lives a giant catfish, Namazu. For thousands of years, he swum around in the underground rivers and lakes that ran beneath the earth, but the problem was that as he wriggled h…
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A connection between marriage and the domestication of the weasel becomes apparent when we consider that the modern Greek word for weasel also means “little bride” and contextualize it against some of the associated folklore #FolkloreThursday mythcrafts.com/2025/04/18/g...
Greco-Roman Weasels: Magic, Midwives, and Vengeful Brides
Protecting food and grain stores was a vital element of survival in ancient times, so while ancient Egyptians were busy breeding domesticated cats to keep mice and rats at bay, the ancient Greeks p…
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Salamanders were believed to have powerful magical properties and were key ingredients in many folk magic recipes. #FolkloreThursday mythcrafts.com/2025/08/09/b...
Born from the Flames: Salamander Mythology
Discover the intriguing world of salamanders, their regenerative powers, and the folklore intertwining magic and medicine throughout history.
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While most of the Egyptian cult centers worshiped current, living gods, there was also a dedicated cult-center for those gods that came before: Khenmw or “eight-town” (later called Hermopolis after the Greek Hermes) mythcrafts.com/2017/09/11/t...
The Egyptian Ogdoad: The World Before Creation.
There is no single definitive Egyptian creation myth, rather a collection of stories that have been transmitted and revised over time. This is partly due to the structure of Egyptian religion, whic…
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What if the “sexually dangerous woman” was never a myth—but a tool of control? How have stories about female sexuality been used to justify fear, shame, and violence against women? youtu.be/s3rMBuWjI-w?...
GODDESS MATTERS: The Dangerous V w/ Dr. Emma Woods
YouTube video by Journey to the Goddess TV
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The Land of Cockaygne was a popular Middle Ages invention where the peasantry was free from labor and exploitation, houses were made of foodstuffs, and the inhabitants never went without… mythcrafts.com/2024/11/21/c...
Cockaygne- A Paradise of Wine and Cheese
The Land of Cockaygne was a fictional land of plenty popularized in the Middle Ages throughout the European continent. It was described as a magical utopia where the peasantry was free from labor a…
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The Ages of Man were theoretical ages of humanity that existed before current day human being was created and formed a part of the greater cosmological understanding of both the Greek and Roman civilizations. mythcrafts.com/2021/01/07/t...
The Ages of Man – Hesiod
The Ages of Man were theoretical ages of humanity that existed before current day human being was created and formed a part of the greater cosmological understanding of both the Greek and Roman civ…
mythcrafts.com
Reaching into His bag of jewels, Black God set about crafting the constellations… #mythologymonday mythcrafts.com/2018/07/03/c...
Coyote, Black God and the First Starry Night
The following tale is from the Navajo, or more precisely, the Diné people. Among their extensive traditional lands is Monument Valley, along the Utah/Arizona border, where the picture above was tak…
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In the Yijian Zhi (夷坚志) of the Song Dynasty, sea sirens are not gentle maidens but beautiful omens of ruin. On a lonely island, one such woman became a wife, spoke the language of plants and beasts, and bore sons. Yet when her husband prepared to leave with another man, 1/2
Shiva’s Other Child: Batara Kala, Lord of the Underworld mythcrafts.com/2022/02/17/s...
Shiva’s Other Child: Batara Kala, Lord of the Underworld
Before getting into the origin(s) and function(s) of Batara Kala, the Javanese/Balinese God of the Underworld, a little back story is necessary. Hinduism enjoyed a brief but vibrant period of re-im…
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Sometime in the 12th century A.D. Chinese and Europeans made an important observation: Loadstones always aligned themselves to the North Star and any metal left in contact with a loadstone would acquire this ability. mythcrafts.com/2023/01/29/t...
The Mapmaker, the Alchemist and the Island of Magnets: Rupes Nigra
Yes, magnets are cool, but there’s also something downright magical about them…
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The Călușari originated as a secret fraternal dance troupe known for “their ability to create the impression of flying in the air”, which he thought represented both the galloping of a horse as well as the dancing of fairies mythcrafts.com/2019/05/23/d...
Dancing for the Queen of the Fairies: Doamna Zînelor and the Călușari
Romania is home to many a folk creature; vampires, werewolves, wizards and dragons have all been known to haunt the Romanian countryside. Not to mention fairies, and their Queen, Doamna Zînelor, a…
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The Ancient Greeks and Romans wrote Oneirocritica; books to help decode their dreams. #MythologyMonday 🔗👇 mythcrafts.com/2025/06/24/d...
Exploring the Symbolism of Ancient Dreams and Their Meaning
Explore how ancient cultures interpreted dreams, from Greek mythology to modern psychology. Unlock the mysteries behind your nightly visions.
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Very excited for this conversation! Come join us live or catch up later: www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8HZ...
GODDESS MATTERS: Male Fear of Female Power
YouTube video by Journey to the Goddess TV
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In the Hindu epic poem, the Mahabharata, only six people remained after a brutal war. As they left the plain of the mortals and headed upwards along a questionable path towards the heavens, a black dog joined them on the journey. 🔗👇 #MythologyMonday mythcrafts.com/2016/11/29/t...
The Mythic Dog and The Mahabharata
In the Hindu epic poem, the Mahabharata, after an awful, brutal war that made brother turn on brother, student turn on teacher, and saint turn on God, only six people remained. They left the plain …
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