The original rhyme for what number of magpies you see and what “results” from that was published in 1780. The rhyme has its roots in ornithomancy, or bird divination (which was used by the ancient Greeks and Romans).
Tag Archives: myth
The Sleep Demon, part 2
Yesterday we took a look at what sleep paralysis is, its possible causes, and how to cope with it. Now let’s see how sleep paralysis was viewed in history and folklore, and its influence on literature. Because why not?
I’m Owl About Them Owls
After reading Alan Garner’s “The Owl Service” recently I went on to learn about the Welsh myth of Blodeuwedd. Then I went on a deep-dive into the folklore surrounding owls…
The Crow King and the Tengu
Whilst I was halfway through writing a book of short stories (still a work in progress) about a particular character, “The Crow King” – a sort of minor bird-god – that I found out about the Tengu, and noticed a bizarre and uncanny resemblance. I thought I’d share my findings and how this serendipity occurred here.
The Stories We Tell Ourselves
Why do we tell stories and how are archetypes used in literature and marketing?
Where did Archetypes come from?
A further dive into what archetypes are and how the concept changed through history.
Nightwalks 