Category: Culture
11 Useful Superstitions About the Night
There are numerous superstitions about the night. Why? Man, Myth and Magic (Vol. 15) describes it best: “Fear of the dark is one of the…
Flying Dutchman sighting of 1881
There are numerous old reports of Flying Dutchman sightings, with the most eery of them being logged in 1881 by the captain of the H.M.S….
Phantom ship spotted before boat struck reef and crew drowned
In sea lore, phantom ship sightings foretold of some disaster. In the following report from 1922, crew on the Reliance spotted a phantom ship before…
Lemuria: Birthplace of Mankind
In 1864, zoologist Philip Sclater proposed a theory on the origins of humankind. He believed that there was a lost continent, Lemuria, where human life…
These people vowed never to speak to each other again. Then what happened?
What happens when a married couple or two friends decide to never speak to each other again? In 1898 an article was published on this…
Useful and beautiful: Llewellyn’s Witches’ Calendar 2023
When I stepped into the occult shop in Historic Jim Thorpe, the last thing I had on my mind was a calendar for the new…
Enjoy the wonders of autumn with Llewellyn’s Little Book of Halloween
Every year, from August 1st to about mid-November, I am filled with a renewed desire to learn about our magical world and its history. When…
Odd rainmaking customs from Russia, Romania, and Serbia
Our recent ancestors had numerous methods for rainmaking and putting an end to drought. In this gem of an article published in 1911, we learn…
Ghost of dead husband caused divorce
A young woman remarried after the death of her first husband, but things did not go as planned. She claimed that the ghost of her…
Wealthy man calls servants with bugle and eats his dessert first
The rich do weird things. In this 1912 report, we find a rich guy (with way too much time on his hands) doing everything he…
