The corgi has been utilised as a mode of transport by the fae for centuries, not just as popularly supposed as fairy battle steeds. #FolkloreSunday

There's been a lot of chat about royal photos being photoshopped, so in the interests of full disclosure, I feel obliged to state this is not actually my Edith_corgi pictured below.

#PhotoshopGate

English is a truly rich language. OED hyphenates it so: arse-ropes. It comes from the 1382 Wycliffite, early version, 1 Kings v. 9 "Þe arsroppis of hem goyng out stoonkyn"

Did a little sketch of Edith_corgi for Dave's Valentine 💝 card. (I expect he guessed who it was from...)

#PancakeDay tomorrow folks!

Witches were believed to be able to transform into a hare, and in this guise were often said to be responsible for stealing milk from a neighbour's herd. Normal bullets couldn't stop such creature however; only silver would suffice. (Image: Albrecht Durer.)

"Art Nouveau is an adventure into the mysterious realm of the subconscious, where nature and imagination intertwine." - Alphonse Mucha

'When you are writing laws you are testing words to find their utmost power. Like spells, they have to make things happen in the real world, and like spells, they only work if people believe in them.'

Hilary Mantel, Wolf Hall

"If you are 'walking in darkness', do not try and make the sun rise by self-sacrifice, but wait in confidence for the dawn, and enjoy the pleasures of the night meanwhile."

-- Aleister Crowley

A New Year Wish by @neilhimself
🎨@davidmackkabuki
Happy New Year 2024

'Fox Fires on New Year's Eve in Oji' from 'One-hundred Views of Famous Places in Edo'
🎨Utagawa Hiroshige, 1857.
#HappyNewYear   
"Foxfire" is a literal translation of Kitsunebi - strange lights at night, such as 🔥 swamp gases - ascribed to the fox.
brooklynmuseum.org/opencollection…

Delighted for Professor Ronald Hutton's CBE for services to history in the New Year Honours. (Gratuitous pic of me with the Prof at a book signing)

On display at the British Library’s Fantasy: Realms of Imagination exhibition — currently running at the British Library Tove Jansson's interpretation caused such upset at the time that Tolkien actually reworked part of The Hobbit in response.

www.thepopverse.com/jrr-tolkien-...

Historically days started at sunset so today is the shortest day, commemorated by a poem written by Susan Cooper in 1974. #Yule #solstice #shortestday #FolkloreThursday

Crikey, this place looks to be a bit more full-on than anticipated...

Well I've arrived...