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Queen of Winter, Skadi married into the gods as the price for her father's death. With snowshoes she comes down from her mountains to visit the sea, where Njord lives: theirs is a tragic but enduring love. Which side will she join at Ragnarok?

🖼: W. Dada

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2021-01-05

The Cailleach's reign has begun. Master of winter, she is stern and hard but she is a wisdom-giver. The weight of wisdom is a stone about the neck, but those willing to use winter to reflect and plan, and are generous, gain wisdom and bounty.

🖼: M.T. Caya

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2021-01-05

A Sami tale tells of a crafty little reindeer that escapes a terrible stalo or troll by making him chase after her over a thick layer of fresh, powdery snow. The reindeer's hooves dance lightly over the snow, but his huge, heavy feet see him buried underneath.

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2021-01-05

The snowdrop fairy
🎨Cicely Mary Barker

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2021-01-05

In some Gaelic myth, were regarded as either non-human nature spirits or as spirits of the dead. They would exist in 'faerie mounds' awaiting reincarnation (a similar belief regarding elves in northern Europe).

🎨 The Fairy Raid by Sir Noel Paton 1867

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2021-01-05

The wren is the Druid Bird in Irish Gaelic & in Welsh the word ‘dryw’ means both druid & wren, as the bird symbolises wisdom & divinity, & its song is portentous. Harming its nest or killing a wren is very unlucky, & the wrong-doer may be struck by lightning.

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2021-01-05

Avoid the fourth toilet stall in Japan, especially at schools. You will discover it without toilet paper, and a voice will offer you red or blue paper. Both will lead to a gory end at the hands of Aka Manto, a murderous modern spirit in red

🖼:

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2020-12-30

“It is only with the heart that one can see clearly, for the most essential things are invisible to the eye.”

~ Hans Christian Andersen, The Ugly Duckling ~



by Josef Paleček

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2020-12-30

As a child I found Hauff's fairytale 'das kalte Herz' (the cold heart) rather terrifying. Set in the Black Forest it features Peter Munk (not happy with being poor), the Glasmännchen (on the side of light) and the ginormous Holländermichel (on the side of dark)

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2020-12-29

Kallikantzaroi are small, male, and mostly blind with long black tails.They have bandy legs and arms, hunched backs, large donkey-like ears and strange eyes. People keep these mischievous monsters away by burning logs, incense, and even old smelly shoes!

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2020-12-23

Then the Cat sat next to the Baby, and purred. Mary, the Mother of Jesus, thanked the good cat for comforting Jesus with warmth and mirth by gently stroking the cat’s forehead with her initial ‘M’. Hence the ‘M’ on the tabby cat. (2/3)

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2020-12-23

A Blessed Celtic Christmas! Watercolor of Queen Maeve by Æ

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2020-12-23

Bringing mistletoe into the house is a symbol of good luck going back to the ancient Druids and it is supposed to possess mystical powers. There is also the tradition of kissing beneath it.


Margaret Tarrant

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2020-12-23

“Whenever five or six English-speaking people meet round a fire on Christmas Eve, they start telling each other ghost stories” (Jerome K. Jerome)

Dickens is the last survivor of the once popular tradition of telling Christmas ghost stories.

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2020-12-22

"Run! Run! Run!
As fast as you can,
You can't catch me -
I'm the gingerbread man!"

A classic tale in which a gingerbread man comes to life and runs from different characters who want to eat him. Many variants of the story can be found over Europe 🍪

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2020-12-22

A modern Christmas fairytale: was created by copywriter Robert May in 1939 for Montgomery Ward Department store's Christmas colouring book. May was inspired by “A Visit from St. Nicholas” & H.C. Andersen’s “The Ugly Duckling”

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2020-12-22

The Santa Claus legend can be traced back to St. Nicholas, a monk. He gave away all of his wealth and traveled countryside helping the poor and sick. Over many years, Nicholas’s popularity spread and he became known as the protector of children and sailors.

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2020-12-22

A nisse is a creature from Nordic folklore associated with & Similar in appearance to a garden gnome, he is accompanied by the Yule Goat, & knocks on doors on to give out gifts. Img: Christmas Nisse & Kersti, by Carl Larsson

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2020-12-22