Have you ever felt a sharp pinch while picking a nut off a tree? Chances are Churn Milk Peg was the culprit. A diminutive English fairy hag, her primary job is to protect nuts from being picked before they are ripe, particularly by naughty children. Churn Milk Peg actually does a good turn for children,… Continue reading Mythic Monday: Churn Milk Peg
Category: Mythic Monday
Mythology and folklore.
Mythic Monday: Green is the Color
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Green is nature’s color, indicating nourishment and growth. When we see it, we sigh in relief on a primitive level, as it denotes bounty and fruitfulness. The clan will not starve this winter. It is soothing and restful, which is why hospital rooms are often green and actors await their turn… Continue reading Mythic Monday: Green is the Color
Mythic Monday: Anna Perenna
Originally an ancient Etruscan goddess of the fruitful earth, Anna Perenna went on to become well revered by the Romans. Her feast day is March 15, a time when spring begins to sing and green shoots stir beneath the fertile ground. During her widely celebrated festival, revelry, merrymaking, and lovemaking were expected of all devout… Continue reading Mythic Monday: Anna Perenna
Mythic Monday: Mermaids and Ondines
The mythology of Pisces hails from ancient Syria in the form of the mermaid goddess Atargatis, also known as the goddess of love and fertility. She is the Goddess of the Sea, akin to the later Greek Aphrodite and Roman Venus. Her lover is Hadad, and her animals are the fish and the dove. Numerous… Continue reading Mythic Monday: Mermaids and Ondines
Mythic Monday: Black Moon Rising
Some folks call February 2014 a Black Moon month because it has no new moon. Our lovely Selene hides her face. This situation can only occur in the short month of February. However, a Black Moon also refers to the second new moon in a calendar month, and January and March are both Black Moon… Continue reading Mythic Monday: Black Moon Rising
Mythic Monday: Water Bearer
Aquarius is the water bearer or cup bearer. It is symbolized by a man holding a vase of overflowing water. In ancient Babylonia 2000 B.C.E. it was the god Ea holding the vase, and the image was associated with regularly occurring destructive floods. In ancient Egypt it was associated with the annual flooding of the… Continue reading Mythic Monday: Water Bearer
Mythic Monday: Brighid, Bears, and Groundhogs
MYTHIC MONDAY: BRIGHID, BEARS, AND GROUNDHOGS How soon can we pack away our winter coats and blankets and not worry about remembering to let the faucet drip or the specter of busted pipes? After a long, dark, icy January, it’s natural to wonder when winter will end and when balmier breezes will replace the ole… Continue reading Mythic Monday: Brighid, Bears, and Groundhogs
Mythic Monday: Black Annis Will Get You
In days not so long ago, English parents frightened their children into good behavior by the threat of “Black Annis will get you.” The custom is equivalent to the threat in America that “the bogeyman will get you.” In older, darker times, Black Annis instilled terror into the hearts of country folk, particularly around her… Continue reading Mythic Monday: Black Annis Will Get You
Mythic Monday: St. Agnes Eve
On St Agnes Eve, January 20th, a young girl can experience a dream vision of her future husband, so the lore tells us, if she follows a carefully prescribed ritual: Fast all day, and bathe before preparing for bed. Sprinkle water onto a sprig of rosemary and a sprig of thyme, and place the herbs… Continue reading Mythic Monday: St. Agnes Eve
Mythic Monday: Praise the Plough
Plough Monday is the first Monday after January 6th or Twelfth Night. A centuries old agricultural celebration in England, it commemorated the day that farmers returned to work for the winter ploughing season after the holy days of Christmas. In some villages, particularly in northern and eastern England, a rowdy procession of young men dragged… Continue reading Mythic Monday: Praise the Plough