And...it's back to Finnish lore. I think I first heard about Nuuttipukki (it's impossible for me to write Nuuttipukki without referring back to Google search to make sure I've got it right.) when a member of the Folk Horror Revival Group (Not in? Come join! It's the best place on the internet!) posted some fabulous… Continue reading The Darkest Days – Nuuttipukki
For someone who is as tied to the North as I am, my knowledge of Finnish lore really ought to be stronger than what it is. But hell, I need to stop putting myself down. I wanted to develop creatively and that's exactly what I'm doing. I'm gathering wisdom every day on this journey, and… Continue reading The Darkest Days – Louhi
I spent most of the past two years in a depression so deep and dark I never imagined I’d be able to claw myself out. My creativity fled quietly and quickly. My mind, which was always teeming with ideas, was deserted. Days, which were once busy and beautiful and inspired, became dismal and distressing and… Continue reading I Am Healing My Life Through Photography
I have only ever been to Wales once. It was well over fifteen years ago, but I can still remember being silenced by the tameless landscapes, the true dark of the sky, the uncanny feeling of it being a place of otherness. I’ve been meaning to go back for ages, and now, after reading into… Continue reading The Darkest Days – Mari Lwyd
I’m usually dashing here, there and everywhere, rarely taking a moment to breathe…but on the odd occasion that I spot a robin outside, I come to a sudden standstill and squeal to whoever else is in the house, ‘there’s a robin in the garden, quick, come look!’ I’ll stay rooted to the spot, face and… Continue reading The Darkest Days – Robin Redbreast
I’m a bit ashamed about how little I know of Celtic folklore, especially considering I have roots in Scotland. But who better to start my exploration with than the Celtic goddess of Winter. The Cailleach – also known as ‘The Veiled One,’ ‘Lady of Beasts’ and ‘Goddess of the Cold’ – determines the length of… Continue reading The Darkest Days – The Cailleach
It's been about seven or eight years since I first wrote about the Wendigo and my curiosity about this intriguing cannibalistic spirit of the cold north shows no sign of diminishing. I initially wrote a poem called My Father The Wendigo, which then inspired a song, which then inspired a short story. However, despite being… Continue reading The Darkest Days – The Wendigo
Embarking on The Darkest Days project has opened up my world to dark lore I may never have otherwise encountered. With each passing day of researching and capturing with my camera the folklore, superstitions and traditions of this haunted time, I find myself becoming all the more ravenous for new knowledge, the darker and more… Continue reading The Darkest Days – Frau Perchta
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
Celebrating the strange and the shadowy, the damned and unseen 