Welcome to Frightening Folklore

Folklore is always with us hiding in the shadows of our everyday lives even if we don't realize it. It emerges in small ways such as when you sneeze and someone says " God bless you" without really knowing why other than that we are taught to say it out of politeness just like we are taught to say please and thank you.

People began saying "God bless you" when someone sneezes because some of our ancestors believed that a person's soul could leave their body through their mouth when they sneezed. They believed that saying "God bless you" would stop the devil from taking a person's soul when they sneeze or release the soul if the devil had captured it. Some people believed that evil spirits were leaving the body when a person sneezed and that saying "God bless you" after the sneeze would keep the evil spirits from reentering the sneezing person's body. "God bless you" was also said after a sneeze because in some cases a sneeze can be a sign of an illness, such as the black plague, the flu, or a cold. Sneezing, itself, can be dangerous and even deadly in rare cases. Spinal injures, broken ribs, and even massive brain hemorrhages have occurred as the result of sneezing.

When we learn about folklore and its history, we don't just learn about how our ancestors did things. We also learn about our own lives and why we do and say the things we do as well. We stop doing and saying things blindly just because someone told us to do or say them without truly knowing why.

The lore of monsters such as vampires, werewolves, and ghosts are always passed down to every new generation. New books are still being written and new movies are still being made about these folkloric creatures that have been with us for thousands of years. 

Every Halloween, people dress up as monsters they heard about from folklore. This tradition began from the ancient belief that ghosts and evil spirits can roam the earth during this time of year. Ancient people dressed in costumes and pretended to be evil spirits themselves to blend in with them, so they would not be noticed by them and would stay safe. They also made jack-o-lanterns to ward off evil spirits as well. 

Folklore is full of history and imagination, and maybe some of it is actually true. It gives us a window into the minds of those who came before us that created it that are now long gone. It is a testament to the creativity and sometimes to the depravity of human minds. If humanity created the tales of these monsters, are the real monsters really humans?

As you read this blog, I hope to intrigue you, to inform you, and most of all to frighten you with folklore.

Along with writing this blog, I am also writing a book that will also be titled Frightening Folklore. This blog is a way to introduce you to my book before it is published and the kind of topics that will be in it. 

If you have frightening, strange, or fascinating experiences, folkloric tales, or beliefs that are unique to you, your family, or where you live and would like to share them, you can e-mail me your stories at tanji211@yahoo.com. I can't wait to hear from you!