Since I was small, I've been fascinated with the idea of a demonic black hound, the size of a yearling calf with eyes the colour of hell fire, haunting the dark, lonely moors and lanes of England. Also, the fact it's a legend most commonly associated with my home county of Yorkshire is something that… Continue reading Art Of The Barghest
The other day when I was talking on Facebook about my obsession with the Wendigo, a friend from Baffin Island mentioned to me the Inuit myth of Qalupalik. (Since I learned how to pronounce Qalupalik I haven't been able to stop saying it to myself! It's such a wonderful word to say aloud.) The Qalupalik… Continue reading Art Of The Qalupalik
I've long been obsessed with the terrifying Algonquian folkloric creature the Wendigo. Also spelled Wìdjigò, Windigo or Wetiko, Wendigo is said to mean 'the evil spirit that devours mankind.' This flesh-eating spirit of the north features in dozens of works of fine literature, though possibly the most chilling is its appearance in Stephen King's book… Continue reading Art Of The Wendigo
If you’re partial to some Scandinavian folk horror (and let's be honest, if you're here it's more than likely that you are) you may enjoy UTBURD, a short story I've written (that started life as a poem) which has been illustrated by Alessia Brusco, an Italian artist based in Sweden. It’s a tale about a… Continue reading UTBURD – An Illustrated Short Story
I was sure that I wasn't going to come back here. That Wyrd Words & Effigies was a closed chapter in my life. Now, I'm usually alright at moving past stuff and taking myself to lush pastures of new projects...but then something unexpected happened. Thanks to Instagram, I fell headfirst into the world of illustrator… Continue reading Justell Vonk : The Artist Who Brought Wyrd Words & Effigies Back From The Dead
There is a little part of me that believes trolls exist in Scandinavia. The same part that believes there is a Loch Ness Monster in Scotland and legions of Sasquatch in North America and elsewhere in the world. I've watched countless documentaries about all three cryptids...(The Bigfoot Files has to be one of the best)… Continue reading Sighting Of A Norwegian Mountain Troll
A shot from this morning when I captured my beautiful friend and muse @erzabethbathory with her familiar Boney. In the event that I've whetted your appetite, you can find more of my photography at my website here. In case you need some other obscure stuff filling up your feed, I'm also on Instagram.
I am well and truly smitten with the dark, folkloric style of artist Kelly Louise Judd. Whenever I peruse her work, I can feel the stress of the day quickly and quietly leave my head.
I've been following the work of French photographer Samantha Charrazac for quite some time on Tumblr, but only recently have I encountered the ethereal creative on Instagram. Her page is one of my favourite places to stop, scroll and stare. Instagram works beautifully well as a gallery for her photography, and it's a truly thrilling… Continue reading The Witches & Wraiths Of Instagram : Midwinter Crone
My second strange short story of the week, featuring one of my favourite figures from Scandinavian folklore, the Huldra is available to read here.
Celebrating the strange and the shadowy, the damned and unseen 