Evil mummified hands, dental hygiene, and dirty, disembodied Japanese foot spirits. Here are ten tweets about folklore around the world.
Ever wonder where the tooth fairy came from? A similar traidtion, tand-fé (tooth fee), is mentioned in the 13th century Icelandic Eddas. Vikings, believing a child’s first tooth to be especially lucky, would buy and string them into necklaces to wear into battle #FolkloreThursday pic.twitter.com/DrFPFUiJLE
— Eleanor Fleming (@AnthroElle) August 30, 2018
In some German folklore the act of kissing a donkey is said to be a cure for toothache! And similarly in Greek folklore drinking donkeys milk would promote strong, healthy teeth. I hope it’s only the donkeys face you need to kiss – look at these cuties! #FolkloreThursday pic.twitter.com/R99ceAjDrA
— Siân Esther Powell (@SianEsther) August 30, 2018
‘Hang moles feet in bag around baby’s neck to cure fever or toothache’.
Ermmm – not if I can help it. #FolkloreThursday pic.twitter.com/LnosYfs2xW
— CreativeHistories (@CreativeHists) August 30, 2018
It’s #FolkloreThursday! The mummified hand of an executed criminal holding a candle made from the malefactor’s fat was once believed to render the person who carried it invisible. It was called the “Hand of Glory.” This one is from the Whitby Museum. pic.twitter.com/EtcCJBuub3
— Lindsey Fitzharris (@DrLindseyFitz) August 30, 2018
The ashiarai yashiki is a huge foot that crashes through the roof and demands to be washed. Found in the Honjo district of Tokyo, it was one of the Seven Wonders of Honjo #FolkloreThursday #yokai https://t.co/x3fFfevJ3g art by Utagawa Kuniteru pic.twitter.com/6HSqOk3UVX
— Yokai Parade (@Yokai_Parade) August 30, 2018
According to folklore, the Huntsman’s Leap coastal chasm in Pembrokeshire was named when: “A huntsman jumped the opening on horseback. On looking back and seeing the fearful chasm over which he had risked his life, he fell back and died of fright.”#folklorethursday #wales pic.twitter.com/C7lyhEDChw
— Mark Rees (@reviewwales) August 30, 2018
In Finnish mythology Kalma is the goddess of death and decay with her name meaning “The Stench of Corpses.” Her favourite places to linger are graveyards and cemeteries; in fact, one Finnish word for graveyard is “kalmisto,” which is derived from her name. #FolkloreThursday pic.twitter.com/MgqCcsMu29
— Clare Farmer (@ClareMFarmer) August 30, 2018
“Vampires in folklore were made not only by a bite, but also if they were once a werewolf, practiced sorcery, were an illegitimate child of illegitimate parents, died before baptism, ate the flesh of a sheep killed by a wolf, or -in Greece- by being a red head”#FolkloreThursday pic.twitter.com/CZ9uFcBWs1
— Mark Rees (@reviewwales) August 30, 2018
It’s #FolkloreThursday and I’ve just been cataloguing this incredible collection of Scandinavian fairy tales which includes these beautiful illustrations by Danish artist Kay Nielsen. The illustrations first accompanied the 1914 edition though it was originally published in 1910. pic.twitter.com/DQFuKxtbWd
— Orkney Library (@OrkneyLibrary) August 30, 2018
#FolkloreThursday The phrase “Peeping Tom” comes from the historical story of Lady Godiva, who rode naked through the streets of Coventry. The townspeople all kept their shutters closed, except for Tom the Tailor, who couldn’t help peeping, and was struck blind. pic.twitter.com/iOQfaTh2lB
— Kim McGreal (@kimsfic) August 23, 2018
Just a reminder that zero out of ten dentists recommend kissing a donkey for strong teeth. Happy Folklore Thursday!
Feature Image Via Renegade Tribune