More or less everything I create is centered around my sacred North. So it felt most strange today to be portraying Yuki Onna, a Japanese spirit of the snow. Strange, but ever so special. My knowledge of Japanese folklore is poor at the best of times, so it was thrilling to dig around a little… Continue reading The Darkest Days – Yuki Onna
When I first started researching into the dark traditions surrounding Yule, I came across a few sentences (I can't remember where exactly...) about a Norwegian tradition that peaked my interest. The tradition is that, on Christmas Eve, folk across the land hide their brooms so lurking witches won't steal them for their night ride. However,… Continue reading The Darkest Days – Hiding The Brooms (Or Not…)
Krampus has long intrigued me, but it's only this year that I've started to delve deep into the lore surrounding him. This post is, I imagine, going to be the first of several that will look at and celebrate the folkloric devil. 'The Krampus springs from a deep-rooted European understanding of Christmas as a time… Continue reading The Darkest Days – Krampus
There is an eerie feeling to this time of year. An uneasy energy in the air. It's something I've felt since the days when I still believed in Father Christmas. I lived for that feeling, for that energy. When I could feel it start to gather in the last days of November, a change would… Continue reading The Darkest Days – Winter Ghost Stories
As the days grow colder and the nights longer, the dead gather closer. During this most haunted time, candles are lit to drive away evil spirits and lure back the sun. In ages past, it was considered extremely unlucky to light the Yule candle before dusk on Christmas Eve. It had to be lit just… Continue reading The Darkest Days – The Yule Candle
The Icelandic, child-eating ogress Grýla is, I think, one of the most fascinating figures in northern folklore. It's been about twelve or thirteen years since I first heard her name and became attached to the ancient mountain dweller. Though despite thinking about her on a pretty regular basis, there's still so much I need to… Continue reading The Darkest Days – Grýla
There is always a nervous energy coursing through me whenever I start a new project. Even more so on this occasion because it has been. so. god. damn. long. since I have done an actual project with actual deadlines and actual goals. And because today I was challenging myself to capture the 'essence' of a… Continue reading The Darkest Days – Skaði
Bloody hell. It feels strange to be blogging. I decided to start typing before my anxiety got the better of me. Folks who have been coming here for a while will know that quite a long time ago - about 18 months - I went into a depressive episode and started to lose my ability… Continue reading The Darkest Days – A Photography Project
Celebrating the strange and the shadowy, the damned and unseen 