85 Items Tagged

Superstitions

Årsgång is the Swedish tradition of a solitary, night-time walk in the forest is just one of many spooky folk stories surrounding the New Year.

Spooky Winter Holiday Lore: Our Favorite Reads

From Christmas goblins to a New Year’s ghost-horse, these creepy tales are sure to keep you in the holiday spirit.

Roxanne Hoorn December 27, 2024

A 1914 illustration by John Bauer from the Swedish fairy-tale collection <em>Bland Tomtar och Troll</em>, meaning "Among Gnomes and Trolls."

The Real-Life Origins of Taboo Fairy Romance

Long before <em>A Court of Thorns and Roses,</em> 17th-century Swedish courts investigated supernatural love.

Andrew Coletti December 17, 2024

View of the Lucky Frog

13 Places to Get Some Good Luck

On a traditionally unlucky day, ward off evil at these fortune-filled locations.

Roxanne Hoorn December 13, 2024

Comet C/2023 A3, or Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, nearly 100 million miles from Earth, seen from the International Space Station on Sept. 22.

Long Seen as Omens, Comets Do Tell Us Something About Ourselves

For thousands of years, comets have fascinated us, filled us with dread, and, in some ways, made us who we are.

Rebecca Boyle November 20, 2024

The Cù Sith, an otherworldly hound of Scottish folklore, and its Irish counterpart the Cù Sidhe are sometimes described as green, the color associated with magic—and misfortune.

Death as a Dog: The Cù Sith of Scotland

The spectral, terrifying dog of Scottish folklore has inspired many a nightmare for centuries—and likely for millennia.

Emma Cieslik October 9, 2024

Shibarare Jizoson

A bizarre object of worship believed to grant wishes to those who tie it up with a rope.

Fujisawa, Japan

Ryuren no Kane

A romantic escape inspired by the legend of a child-eating five-headed dragon.

20 Statues to Rub for Good Luck

From toes to testicles, these well-loved monuments may bring fortune or grant wishes.

Roxanne Hoorn August 2, 2024

<em>Approaching Storm</em> by German landscape painter Julius Bergmann shows a cowherd bringing his animals to shelter.

Can Thunderstorms Spoil Milk?

The answer eluded scientists for centuries.

Andrew Coletti July 30, 2024

Uncini della Fortuna (Hooks of Fortune)

Despite their macabre past, these hooks are said to bring good luck to those who touch them.

Kamakura, Japan

Seimei Stone

Associated with Japanese folklore's most eminent sorcerer, this slab of rock is said to be both a blessing and a curse.

Kenashi Pond

Haunted by a giant white snake, this pond is said to bring the rain and pubic hair.

NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory satellie captured a total solar eclipse on Feb. 11, 2018, an event that was not visible from Earth.

7 Great Eclipse Books to Inspire, Delight, and Prepare You for April 8

From wild page-turners of the eclipse-obsessed to a gentle children’s book for all ages.

Gemma Tarlach March 11, 2024

Math and dessert are a match made in heaven.

Celebrate Pi Day With These Mathematical Tales

Plus pie recipes, of course.

April White March 8, 2024

Royal Palace of Madrid Statues

After the queen of Spain had a dream where these statues fell and crushed her, they were removed from the palace and given new homes around Madrid.

Portone del Diavolo (Devil's Door)

This sinister Baroque entryway could lead you to a terrible fate.

<em>Leopardus guigna</em>, or kodkod, is the smallest wild cat in the Americas, and is often smaller than an average house cat.

The Smallest Wild Cat in the Americas Is Also the Cutest Bad Omen

In rural Chile, the kodkod, or güiña, has a bad rep for stealing chickens—and as a portent of death and disaster.

Roxanne Hoorn November 1, 2023

This illustration from a Medieval manuscript shows bees returning to a skep hive.

The Magic Spells That Herded Medieval Bees

For European beekeepers, “swarm charms” were once a tool of the trade.

Andrew Coletti October 20, 2023