Ghosts in the Machine
Forty years ago, Hollywood made gremlins loveable—portraying them as adorable, furry creatures. Their folkloric origins are far more sinister.
Birthing the Jersey Devil
For centuries, a fork-tailed mythical creature that lurks in the pinelands of the Garden State has served as a reminder of the horrors that result when reproductive freedoms are destroyed.
When All the English Had Tails
Where did the myth that English men (and probably women) were hiding tails beneath their clothing come from? And what was that about eggs?
What Makes Foxes So Fantastic?
In stories from around the world, foxes offer rewards or punishments to humans, play tricks on their fellow animals, and sometimes transform into foxy ladies.
Building a Fairy Kingdom in Britain
Around the fourteenth century, folk and literary traditions concerning elves, demons, and other creatures coalesced into a unified fairy kingdom.
The Legend of the Leatherman
From 1857 to 1889, he could be found walking a 365-mile loop in western Connecticut and eastern New York. Everybody recognized him, but no one knew his name.
Mermaids: Myth, Kith and Kin
Ariel epitomizes mermaids now, but these beguiling creatures precede her by millennia, sparking imaginations the world over with a hearty embrace of otherness.
The Fakelore of Food Origins
Where did potato chips come from? How about clams casino? Are the origin stories for these foods true, or do they fall into the category of “fakelore”?
How to Use a Ouija Board
Read on, but beware, these tales of spine-tingling ghosts and eerie spirits...
The True Story of Grizzly Adams
In order to invent a legendary hero of the Wild West, John Adams shook himself free from his life as shoemaker in Massachusetts.