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Folklore

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Moiya McTier finds unique ways to combine her expert knowledge of both folklore and astrophysics.
space exploration

How Can Myths Help Us Understand the Stars? AO Wants to Know.

Astrophysicist and folklorist Moiya McTier teaches science through storytelling.
Andrew Coletti March 20, 2025
Osaka, Japan

Umeda Kitamuki Jizo

A rare north-facing Ksitigarbha statue enshrined in a passageway off Osaka’s busiest area.
Aalborg, Denmark

Bell Chamber of Budolfi Church

This bellfry was once said to be the Devil’s lair—or perhaps the home of a mischievous gnome?
Hirosaki, Japan

Demon Oak Tree of Onizawa

A mountain demon once helped a local villager construct a canal, after which he sat on this oak tree to rest.
Osaka, Japan

Tomb of the Nue

The tomb of an infamous chimeric monster whose corpse once washed ashore in Osaka.
Tokyo, Japan

Amazake-babaa

This statue of a deified “hag” is said to protect children from the common cold and coughing fits.
Morioka, Japan

Demon’s Hand Prints in the Rocks

According to local folklore, a demon left his handprints on these boulders, which became the prefecture’s namesake.
Hirosaki, Japan

Iwakiyama Shrine

An atmospheric shrine of mountain worship that is home to a number of curious folk tales.
Prague, Czechia

Iron Knight

The statue of a cursed knight is said to come to life every 100 years.
In Mexico, today's <em>teyollohcuani</em> is a terrifying, shape-shifting, vampire-like witch, but the figure has deep precolonial roots and a complex evolution.
vampires

Mexico's Vampire Witch Has a Twisted Origin Story

The terrifying teyollohcuani is a shape-shifter of ancient indigenous lore, dark colonial history, and pop culture.
Roxanne Hoorn October 23, 2024
Nihommatsu, Japan

Kurozuka (Black Tomb)

Local legend claims that this is the final resting place of an infamous cannibal hag.
aliens

Who Were the Mysterious Moon-Eyed People of Appalachia?

Tales of strange, nocturnal people haunt the region—and so do theories about who they were, from a lost Welsh "tribe" to aliens.
Hadley Meares October 22, 2024
Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

Folklore Exhibit at the Sharjah Heritage Museum

Dioramas retell the obscure local legends and ghost stories of Sharjah, from a living palm tree to a headless camel.
In the original <em>Dracula</em> novel, the count is able to bite Lucy only after her necklace of garlic flowers is removed.
witchcraft

Banishing Evil With Edible Plants

All-natural monster repellent for spooky season might lurk in your kitchen.
Andrew Coletti October 14, 2024
Lehmja, Estonia

Lehmja Oak Forest

An ancient oak forest where, legend has it, a wedding party was magically transformed into trees.
Vanishing hitchhiker legends are just the latest version of a folktale that may go back millennia—and continues to spread and evolve.
ghosts

The Vanishing Hitchhiker Legend Is an Ancient Tale That Keeps Evolving

The classic creepy story—a driver offers a lift to a stranger who is not of this world—has deep roots and a long reach.
Mark Hay October 10, 2024
Joso, Japan

Kasane-ga-fuchi

The eerie, tragic setting of one of Japan’s most popular ghost stories.
De Lutte, Netherlands

Kardoes the Hellhound

A bronze statue commemorating the legend of a hellhound haunting the village of De Lutte.