Folklore
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Swamp Things and Singing True: a Review of the comic Bayou
If you’re going to build a world with words, look at Jeremy Love’s comic book series Bayou for inspiration—you can’t go wrong. What began as…
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Blood-Suckers vs. Hoppers: Vampire Showdown
Vampires have captivated the Western imagination for centuries. From Bram Stoker’s seminal novel, Dracula, to Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire, to the ‘90s…
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A Mid-Autumn Night’s Dream: Chinese Moon Folktales
“A sky-dog is eating the moon.” “天狗吃月亮” – Chinese folktale This is how my mother described the eclipse we barely saw Sunday night, because some…
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Tales about Nine Tails: an Overview of Eastern Fox Spirits
“狐狸尾巴藏不住.” “A fox’s tail is not easily hidden.” – Chinese proverb Though usually levelled at scheming individuals when their plots are unravelled, this saying alludes…
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Forty Miles of Mountain Road: Faust and the Blues
The Faustian myth, wherein one sells their soul for fame or fortune, is an incredibly popular motif throughout world folklore and literature. While the story…
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Hopelessly Hobbited: A Tolkien Addict’s Review of The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies
One last time. These words, though spoken by Thorin as he prepares to lead his company of dwarves into the Orc-Dwarf-Elf melee, also speak clearly…
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A Good Land for Myths
Throughout Neil Gaiman’s 2001 novel American Gods, many different characters state that “America is a bad land for gods.” The novel argues that when many…
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The Ancient—and Morbid—Origins of Halloween
It came as a shock to me to learn that the inhabitants of Hogwarts are likely alone in celebrating Halloween in the United Kingdom. While…
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The SPECtacular Irish Mythology and Imagery of The Secret of Kells
There are about a million reasons to watch the 2009 animated film The Secret of Kells. It has all of the things a good Irish…
The Spectatorial 