The article archive
Articles
Explore the stories, sources and folklore behind the documentaries.
Article
Why Vikings Feared Their Own Dead | The Draugr
Published
Meet the restless dead of Icelandic sagas: Þórólfr, Glámr and the frightening idea that death might leave a person’s grudges intact.
Article
Why Would Anyone Hang a Demon’s Face in Their Home?
Published
Why did ancient families keep Pazuzu’s frightening face close? Explore the wind demon, his protective amulets and his role against Lamashtu.
Article
The Original Medusa Was NOT a Woman
Published
Trace Medusa from the early Gorgon sisters and protective faces to Perseus, Ovid and the tragic woman familiar in modern retellings.
Article
Why Dionysus Is the Most Misunderstood God in Greek Mythology
Published
Discover the god behind the wine: Dionysus’ dangerous gifts, the tragedy of Pentheus, theatre, disputed Orphic traditions and the hope of return.
Article
The Doppelgänger: Mythology’s Most Terrifying Warning Sign
Published
Why was seeing your double a warning of death? Explore doppelgänger folklore, Emilie Sagée’s story and the science of encountering another self.
Article
Tengu: The Real Creature Behind the Emoji
Published
Meet the tengu behind Japan’s long-nosed goblin emoji, from bird-like spirits and Buddhist cautionary tales to warriors’ teachers and mountain guardians.
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Herne the Hunter: Ghost, God, or Invention?
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Explore Windsor’s antlered hunter, his earliest appearance in Shakespeare, the later ghost story and the debated links with ancient gods.
Article
Jinn: The Hidden Beings Behind the Genie Myth
Published
Explore the hidden beings of Islamic tradition, their place in Arabic folklore, and how they became the Western genie.