#dailyspooklore — Public Fediverse posts

Image is Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes. #DailySpookLore #NationalReadingMonth #GothicSpring #BookSky #Literature #LiteratureSky #Fiction #FictionSky #Mystery #MysterySky #Crime #CrimeSky #ArthurConanDoyle #SherlockHolmes #SherlockHolmesSky #JeremyBrett #Monster #MonsterSky #Dog #Ghost

According to Lewis Spence’s ‘A Water-Demon from Leith’, Shellycoat is a water monster, capable of extreme violence. It’s known for wearing a coat made of shells, which makes a clattering noise as it approaches. Image: Brettisagirl #mythologymonday #folklore #dailyspooklore

In the lore of the Buryats, Ada is an evil entity that manifests itself in the form of a one-eyed cat. This malevolent creature resides in basements and abandoned places. But if you're not careful enough, it can follow you home and suffocate your baby at night. #caturday #dailyspooklore #folklore

Among the Slavs, there exists a belief that the soul of a witch can leave her body while she is asleep, taking on the form of an animal or even a weather event. Such a soul escapes through a chimney at night, only to return with the first sunrise rays. #mythologymonday #dailyspooklore #folklore

In East Slavic lore, hair/fur contains one’s soul. It was customary for farmers to make a deal with Leshy (the forest lord): they promised to give him a "one-furred" cow, which referred to the animal's soul, and in return, he would spare the rest of their livestock. #dailyspooklore #folklore l

Selma is a Norwegian cousin of Nessie. This cryptid inhabits Seljordsvannet, where it is reportedly described by locals as a massive, snake-like creature with glowing eyes. The first encounter with Selma was registered in 1750 🐍 #swampsunday #dailyspooklore #folklore Image: Hugo Heikenwaelder

In the lore of the Udmurts, Obyda is a demonic forest woman with the ability to suffocate solitary travelers. Her ankles are said to be sprained – a characteristic that signifies her connection to the other world. #dontgointothewoods #dailyspooklore #folklore

In East Slavic tradition, laughter is tied to the life itself. The ability to laugh is how you can tell the living apart from the walking dead, as the latter can’t laugh anymore. Laughter also was used in folk-magic and healing rituals. #dailyspooklore #aprilfools #folklore Image: Ternovye

If there's a theatre, there are ghosts! When a theatre is empty, a ghost light is left on the stage for safety reasons. But some people believe that the true purpose of it is to allow spirits to perform on stage, thereby preventing them from disturbing the living. #mythologymonday #dailyspooklore

In Greek mythology, the Eleionomae are described as the naiads of swamp and marshes. They are known for sending visions to solitary travelers, often with the intention of either seducing them or luring them to their death. #swampsunday #dailyspooklore #folklore Image: Alexandra Dvornikova

An old East Slavic superstition warns that bringing home cattails or reeds can summon the wrath of swamp spirits. And then they will retaliate by causing illnesses and misfortune to affect your family… #SwampSunday #dailyspooklore #folklore Image: Fizdi Prints

In Vyatka, women used to perform a good luck ritual that involved consuming a hen who mothered 3 generations of chickens, and burring her bones in a swamp. #dailyspooklore #swampsunday #folklore Image: Natalie Wargin

According to the records, in the 14th century, the marriage of Simeon of Moscow and the Princess Eupraxia Feodorovna had been cursed by a witch, so whenever they were alone, his wife took the shape of a bear. This motif is typical for East Slavic folk-tales. #folklorethursday #dailyspooklore

Veshtitsa is a shape-shifting witch in the lore of South Slavs, who drinks blood of infants, and steals babies from wombs to devour them. In the Urals, they usually travel in couples in the form of magpies and cause harm to pregnant women. #folklorethursday #dailyspooklore #vampiresweekly

In Komi lore, Baba Yoma is a forest witch. Described as a hag with hairy eyes and iron teeth, she’s known for her temper and connections to the other world. A skilled weaver, she rules over waters, fields and animals, and dwells in a hut with moss legs. #folklorethursday #dailyspooklore #folklore

It’s said, the infamous Witch of Berkeley had asked to be sewed in the hide of a stag, placed in a stone coffin and secured with chains, but the Devil got her anyway. On a giant black horse, covered in spikes, they rode off to hell. #folklorethursday #dailyspooklore #folklore Image: Nona Limmen

In Slavic folk-magic, peas often go together with snake skulls. To become invisible, hunters used to bury a snake skull with 2 peas places in its eye orbits and 1 – in its month. If a pea flower grew out of such a skull, it would be used to understand bird language. #gothsrping #dailyspooklore

One should never spin yarn at night because a kikimora can attack you. In Slavic lore, they are personifications of poltergeist, but even though kikimory cause a lot of damage, they are just dead girls abandoned by their mothers, who want to be loved. #dailyspooklore #mythologymonday #folklore

Mine are #SwampSunday and #dailyspooklore But there are also #WyrdWednesday #MythologyMonday #FolkyFriday and, of course, #FolkloreThursday present on Bluesky. #FairyraleTuesday, sadly, isn’t with us 😭

Up until a priest Rasmus Ganting put a spell on the water horse of Sørvágsvatn 🇫🇴, whilst it was in the human form, and turned it to stone, that monster had been devouring the locals. The stone is located in Vatnsoyrar, and some say the horse is begging to let it out… #swampsunday #dailyspooklore

According to the lore, Vodyanoy can conceive a baby with a mortal woman, and later take it away. But should the mother baptize such a baby, Vodyanoy will take away half of it – the one that belongs to him. #SwampSunday #dailyspooklore #folklore Image: Tomas Duchek

In East Slavic tradition, doors are sacred, so witches and the unholy critters prefer to use windows or chimneys. For instance, in love incantations, whoever pronounces them, usually mentions that she/he walks out “not of doors”. #mythologymonday #dailyspooklore #folklore Image: H. Boswell

In Slavic lore, Bolotnitsa, is a female swamp spirit, the most remarkable description of which was made in 1874 by Pavel Melnikov-Pechersky: in his novel "In the Forests" he characterized Bolotnitsa as a malicious beautiful young lady with the black legs of a goose. #swampsunday #dailyspooklore

Now that’s my favorite postcard for the occasion 🖤 Image: Kristina Som #valentinesday #dailyspooklore

Despite the disapproval from the Orthodox Church, for East Slavic girls, it was customary to hide hex bags somewhere in the corner of a guy’s home to make him fall in love or to ensure their marriage. #stvalentinesday #dailyspooklore #folklore Image: A. Shishkin

In East Slavic traditional beliefs, not only frogs and toads are associated with fertility, but also with women. Moreover, they symbolize uterus itself, and in the past, that was widely used in folk-magic. #mythologymonday #swampsunday #folklore #dailyspooklore

According to an old Bashkir legend, a long-dead black horse once escaped its burial cave and galloped down all the way to the White River (Agidel), in which it disappeared. Being followed by a mountain stream, that horse created the Black River (Karaidel). #SwampSunday #dailyspooklore #foklore