The article archive
Articles
Explore the stories, sources and folklore behind the documentaries.
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.
Article
The Abhartach: Ireland’s Ancient Vampire Legend
Published
Explore Abhartach’s returning-dead legend, its later vampire features and the unproven claim that this Irish tyrant inspired Bram Stoker’s Dracula.
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
The Ghoul Was Never Meant to Be a Zombie
Published
Explore the deceptive ghoul of Arabic folklore, its connection with jinn, Sidi Nouman’s story and the later image of a graveyard corpse eater.
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.