Crystal Ponti
@crystalponti.bsky.social
A freelance writer exploring the intersection of history and folklore. Bylines: The History Channel, The New York Times, BBC, etc. Also @HistoriumU (Historium Unearthia); Grieving mom of Adam.
muckrack.com/crystal-ponti
muckrack.com/crystal-ponti
River spirits often symbolize boundaries. Crossing water in folklore marks transition into new phases of life or danger. #FolkloreThursday
Art: Abhishek Singh
Art: Abhishek Singh
February 19, 2026 at 6:45 PM
River spirits often symbolize boundaries. Crossing water in folklore marks transition into new phases of life or danger. #FolkloreThursday
Art: Abhishek Singh
Art: Abhishek Singh
Reposted by Crystal Ponti
A kelpie of Barra turned into a man to seduce a young lass, but she took off his silver necklace, turning him back into his horse form. For a year the kelpie worked her father's land, and at a year she returned the necklace and they married. #FolkloreThursday
🖼️: J. Egrekrans
🖼️: J. Egrekrans
February 19, 2026 at 3:54 PM
A kelpie of Barra turned into a man to seduce a young lass, but she took off his silver necklace, turning him back into his horse form. For a year the kelpie worked her father's land, and at a year she returned the necklace and they married. #FolkloreThursday
🖼️: J. Egrekrans
🖼️: J. Egrekrans
Reposted by Crystal Ponti
#FolkloreThursday 🐎
The Scottish Kelpie: a notorious shape-shifting water horse haunting lochs & lonely rivers. 🌊
It appears as a lost dark grey or white pony, tempting the unwary to climb aboard—then drags them to a watery grave beneath the depths.
Beware the sticky hide that traps riders fast! 🏇
The Scottish Kelpie: a notorious shape-shifting water horse haunting lochs & lonely rivers. 🌊
It appears as a lost dark grey or white pony, tempting the unwary to climb aboard—then drags them to a watery grave beneath the depths.
Beware the sticky hide that traps riders fast! 🏇
February 19, 2026 at 4:27 PM
#FolkloreThursday 🐎
The Scottish Kelpie: a notorious shape-shifting water horse haunting lochs & lonely rivers. 🌊
It appears as a lost dark grey or white pony, tempting the unwary to climb aboard—then drags them to a watery grave beneath the depths.
Beware the sticky hide that traps riders fast! 🏇
The Scottish Kelpie: a notorious shape-shifting water horse haunting lochs & lonely rivers. 🌊
It appears as a lost dark grey or white pony, tempting the unwary to climb aboard—then drags them to a watery grave beneath the depths.
Beware the sticky hide that traps riders fast! 🏇
Stories warn that calm waters may hide powerful forces beneath. Stillness should never be mistaken for safety. #FolkloreThursday
Art: Vladimir Kush
Art: Vladimir Kush
February 19, 2026 at 4:20 PM
Stories warn that calm waters may hide powerful forces beneath. Stillness should never be mistaken for safety. #FolkloreThursday
Art: Vladimir Kush
Art: Vladimir Kush
Water spirits frequently appear at dusk or dawn. These liminal times mirror the threshold nature of their domain. #FolkloreThursday
Art: Pavlina Spasova
Art: Pavlina Spasova
February 19, 2026 at 3:40 PM
Water spirits frequently appear at dusk or dawn. These liminal times mirror the threshold nature of their domain. #FolkloreThursday
Art: Pavlina Spasova
Art: Pavlina Spasova
Storms at sea were often attributed to angered spirits, reminding sailors that the ocean could never be fully controlled. #FolkloreThursday
Art: Joos de Momper the Younger
Art: Joos de Momper the Younger
February 19, 2026 at 1:50 PM
Storms at sea were often attributed to angered spirits, reminding sailors that the ocean could never be fully controlled. #FolkloreThursday
Art: Joos de Momper the Younger
Art: Joos de Momper the Younger
Water spirits endure in stories and folklore because water itself remains mysterious. Its depths conceal more than human eyes can reach. #FolkloreThursday
Art: Giuliano Bartolomeo, Le Villi
Art: Giuliano Bartolomeo, Le Villi
February 19, 2026 at 1:15 PM
Water spirits endure in stories and folklore because water itself remains mysterious. Its depths conceal more than human eyes can reach. #FolkloreThursday
Art: Giuliano Bartolomeo, Le Villi
Art: Giuliano Bartolomeo, Le Villi
In Slavic lore, the rusalka embodies both beauty and danger. Once human, now bound to water, she reflects the thin line between longing and loss. #FolkloreThursday
Art: Boris Tyomkin
Art: Boris Tyomkin
February 19, 2026 at 12:50 PM
In Slavic lore, the rusalka embodies both beauty and danger. Once human, now bound to water, she reflects the thin line between longing and loss. #FolkloreThursday
Art: Boris Tyomkin
Art: Boris Tyomkin
The Scottish kelpie appears as a beautiful horse near rivers, luring riders before plunging into dark water. Trust is always tested near the shore. #FolkloreThursday
Art: Catherine Herold
Art: Catherine Herold
February 19, 2026 at 12:15 PM
The Scottish kelpie appears as a beautiful horse near rivers, luring riders before plunging into dark water. Trust is always tested near the shore. #FolkloreThursday
Art: Catherine Herold
Art: Catherine Herold
Water spirits in folklore rarely belong fully to one realm. They move between surface and depth, life and afterlife, seen and unseen. #FolkloreThursday
Art: Bethanie Perdue
Art: Bethanie Perdue
February 19, 2026 at 11:57 AM
Water spirits in folklore rarely belong fully to one realm. They move between surface and depth, life and afterlife, seen and unseen. #FolkloreThursday
Art: Bethanie Perdue
Art: Bethanie Perdue
Endings in both myth and history share a common lesson. Nothing built without care remains secure forever. #WyrdWednesday
Art: Victor Charade
Art: Victor Charade
February 18, 2026 at 8:50 PM
Endings in both myth and history share a common lesson. Nothing built without care remains secure forever. #WyrdWednesday
Art: Victor Charade
Art: Victor Charade
In many traditions, forbidden lovers are punished not because love is wrong, but because it threatens established power. #LegendaryWednesday
Art: Iman Poorfarokh
Art: Iman Poorfarokh
February 18, 2026 at 6:58 PM
In many traditions, forbidden lovers are punished not because love is wrong, but because it threatens established power. #LegendaryWednesday
Art: Iman Poorfarokh
Art: Iman Poorfarokh
In folklore, cursed rulers bring ruin not only upon themselves, but upon their lands. Leadership carries collective consequences. #WyrdWednesday
February 18, 2026 at 5:01 PM
In folklore, cursed rulers bring ruin not only upon themselves, but upon their lands. Leadership carries collective consequences. #WyrdWednesday
In folklore, lovers who meet in dreams reflect the belief that the soul travels freely where the body cannot. #LegendaryWednesday
Art: Narinart Armgallery
Art: Narinart Armgallery
February 18, 2026 at 1:24 PM
In folklore, lovers who meet in dreams reflect the belief that the soul travels freely where the body cannot. #LegendaryWednesday
Art: Narinart Armgallery
Art: Narinart Armgallery
The Titanic’s demise remains haunting because it symbolized certainty undone. Technology promised mastery. Nature answered otherwise. #WyrdWednesday
Art: Max Beckmann
Art: Max Beckmann
February 18, 2026 at 11:59 AM
The Titanic’s demise remains haunting because it symbolized certainty undone. Technology promised mastery. Nature answered otherwise. #WyrdWednesday
Art: Max Beckmann
Art: Max Beckmann
Romeo and Juliet endure because their tragedy reflects a timeless fear. Sometimes love fails not from lack of devotion, but from surrounding hatred. #LegendaryWednesday
Art: Royal Shakespeare Company Collection
Art: Royal Shakespeare Company Collection
February 18, 2026 at 11:28 AM
Romeo and Juliet endure because their tragedy reflects a timeless fear. Sometimes love fails not from lack of devotion, but from surrounding hatred. #LegendaryWednesday
Art: Royal Shakespeare Company Collection
Art: Royal Shakespeare Company Collection
Carnival traditions often included mock trials and playful punishments. Humor helped communities release tension before returning to order. #FairyTaleTuesday
Art: Francisco Goya
Art: Francisco Goya
February 17, 2026 at 5:36 PM
Carnival traditions often included mock trials and playful punishments. Humor helped communities release tension before returning to order. #FairyTaleTuesday
Art: Francisco Goya
Art: Francisco Goya
Mardi Gras exists on a threshold between seasons. Winter fades, spring approaches, and celebration marks the turning. #FairyTaleTuesday
Art: Heather Calderon
Art: Heather Calderon
February 17, 2026 at 1:49 PM
Mardi Gras exists on a threshold between seasons. Winter fades, spring approaches, and celebration marks the turning. #FairyTaleTuesday
Art: Heather Calderon
Art: Heather Calderon
In medieval carnivals, costume meant freedom. Social boundaries dissolved when identity was hidden behind silk, feathers, and paint. #FairyTaleTuesday
February 17, 2026 at 11:54 AM
In medieval carnivals, costume meant freedom. Social boundaries dissolved when identity was hidden behind silk, feathers, and paint. #FairyTaleTuesday
Even the smallest creatures carry enormous symbolic weight. Mythology rarely ignores what crawls beneath our feet. #MythologyMonday
Art: Joris Hoefnagel
Art: Joris Hoefnagel
February 16, 2026 at 8:33 PM
Even the smallest creatures carry enormous symbolic weight. Mythology rarely ignores what crawls beneath our feet. #MythologyMonday
Art: Joris Hoefnagel
Art: Joris Hoefnagel
Glowworms lighting caves were once thought to be stars fallen into the earth. Darkness creates its own constellations. #MythologyMonday
Art: Francis Danby
Art: Francis Danby
February 16, 2026 at 6:33 PM
Glowworms lighting caves were once thought to be stars fallen into the earth. Darkness creates its own constellations. #MythologyMonday
Art: Francis Danby
Art: Francis Danby
Fireflies were once thought to be wandering spirits. Their flickering lights resembled signals from the unseen. #MythologyMonday
Art: Elliot Lang
Art: Elliot Lang
February 16, 2026 at 4:33 PM
Fireflies were once thought to be wandering spirits. Their flickering lights resembled signals from the unseen. #MythologyMonday
Art: Elliot Lang
Art: Elliot Lang
Spiders often represent fate in mythology. Their webs echo the invisible threads that connect every life. #MythologyMonday
February 16, 2026 at 2:33 PM
Spiders often represent fate in mythology. Their webs echo the invisible threads that connect every life. #MythologyMonday
In many myths, insects are not pests but messengers. Their small size allows them to slip between worlds unseen. #MythologyMonday
Art: Cindi Riley
Art: Cindi Riley
February 16, 2026 at 12:26 PM
In many myths, insects are not pests but messengers. Their small size allows them to slip between worlds unseen. #MythologyMonday
Art: Cindi Riley
Art: Cindi Riley
In Victorian symbolism, cats represented both tenderness and mystery. The heart was never meant to be entirely understood. #FolkloreSunday
Art: DeborahBart
Art: DeborahBart
February 15, 2026 at 8:33 PM
In Victorian symbolism, cats represented both tenderness and mystery. The heart was never meant to be entirely understood. #FolkloreSunday
Art: DeborahBart
Art: DeborahBart
