Neil Philip
@neilphilipmyth.bsky.social
I post about folklore, mythology, poetry, children's literature, art, cats, nature and anything else that takes my fancy. Currently working on an absurdly over-ambitious "key to all mythologies", The Hidden Matrix for Unbound.
The latest issue of Jon Appleton's wonderful journal the gab. Lots of interest here, and even a long interview with me. For subscriptions, contact jonappletonsbooks@gmail.com - you won't regret it.
October 25, 2025 at 11:58 AM
The latest issue of Jon Appleton's wonderful journal the gab. Lots of interest here, and even a long interview with me. For subscriptions, contact jonappletonsbooks@gmail.com - you won't regret it.
Excellent new book by Jane Harrington on the pioneering women salon writers of fairy tales whose work was eclipsed by that of Charles Perrault. Informative essays on each one, followed by a couple of sample stories.
September 23, 2025 at 2:24 PM
Excellent new book by Jane Harrington on the pioneering women salon writers of fairy tales whose work was eclipsed by that of Charles Perrault. Informative essays on each one, followed by a couple of sample stories.
Herz, mein Herz, sei nicht beklommen
Heart, my heart, be not cast down,
bear up and accept your fate.
Spring will come, and recreate
all this winter has undone.
Think how much remains to love
still, in this most lovely world.
All its beauty will unfurl,
my heart, unfurl for you to love.
Heart, my heart, be not cast down,
bear up and accept your fate.
Spring will come, and recreate
all this winter has undone.
Think how much remains to love
still, in this most lovely world.
All its beauty will unfurl,
my heart, unfurl for you to love.
April 12, 2025 at 9:08 PM
Herz, mein Herz, sei nicht beklommen
Heart, my heart, be not cast down,
bear up and accept your fate.
Spring will come, and recreate
all this winter has undone.
Think how much remains to love
still, in this most lovely world.
All its beauty will unfurl,
my heart, unfurl for you to love.
Heart, my heart, be not cast down,
bear up and accept your fate.
Spring will come, and recreate
all this winter has undone.
Think how much remains to love
still, in this most lovely world.
All its beauty will unfurl,
my heart, unfurl for you to love.
Still alive, friends, and able, with a friend by my side, to enjoy my spring garden. I sat down for a rest, and Kiki turned up ready for her close-up.
April 3, 2025 at 9:30 PM
Still alive, friends, and able, with a friend by my side, to enjoy my spring garden. I sat down for a rest, and Kiki turned up ready for her close-up.
Me looking like me, after a lovely lunch with my brother and sister-in-law. Love, wine, and devoted cat. A rare happy moment in what has been a trying week.
January 16, 2025 at 11:00 PM
Me looking like me, after a lovely lunch with my brother and sister-in-law. Love, wine, and devoted cat. A rare happy moment in what has been a trying week.
Rather thrilled by this.
January 6, 2025 at 4:27 PM
Rather thrilled by this.
My late wife Emma Bradford's quick sketch of a seagull in Jutland.
December 14, 2024 at 11:47 PM
My late wife Emma Bradford's quick sketch of a seagull in Jutland.
This is a wonderful book by one of the leading scholars in the field - in relaxed accessible way it tells you both the stories and the stories behind the stories. Perfect for a spooky Christmas.
December 9, 2024 at 3:23 PM
This is a wonderful book by one of the leading scholars in the field - in relaxed accessible way it tells you both the stories and the stories behind the stories. Perfect for a spooky Christmas.
Wonderful. Arrived today and already been sat on by a wet cat, with the clear message, "I ain't afraid of no werewolf."
December 7, 2024 at 4:21 PM
Wonderful. Arrived today and already been sat on by a wet cat, with the clear message, "I ain't afraid of no werewolf."
Kiki loves her catnip banana.
December 5, 2024 at 9:15 PM
Kiki loves her catnip banana.
Treated myself to an Advent Calendar that plays a different bird song behind each door.
November 29, 2024 at 2:41 PM
Treated myself to an Advent Calendar that plays a different bird song behind each door.
Well, you have to squint your eyes to see this kestrel leaving its perch from a tree in my garden. I had a better shot lined up, but the iPhone went haywire.
November 28, 2024 at 11:08 PM
Well, you have to squint your eyes to see this kestrel leaving its perch from a tree in my garden. I had a better shot lined up, but the iPhone went haywire.
Excited to have this withdrawn library copy of John Reeve's, A Divine Looking-Glass. I do have a modern pb, but this C19th reprint comes from when Muggletonianism was still a viable religious movement (at one point, rivalling the Quakers). Reeve wrote this whole book, no input from Muggleton.
November 28, 2024 at 3:19 PM
Excited to have this withdrawn library copy of John Reeve's, A Divine Looking-Glass. I do have a modern pb, but this C19th reprint comes from when Muggletonianism was still a viable religious movement (at one point, rivalling the Quakers). Reeve wrote this whole book, no input from Muggleton.
Neil Philip
@neilphilipmyth
A friend asked me if I knew an Inuit folktale about a mother being eaten by her baby. I sent her two. Not sure what this says about me. I told the woman (dear friend) who looks after me about this request, and she said, "Of course you do."
November 25, 2024 at 11:34 PM
Neil Philip
@neilphilipmyth
A friend asked me if I knew an Inuit folktale about a mother being eaten by her baby. I sent her two. Not sure what this says about me. I told the woman (dear friend) who looks after me about this request, and she said, "Of course you do."
My wife's oldest friend (she saw her on the day she was born) always through Emma's long illness planted her granny's bowl with cyclamen for Christmas, and now she is continuing the tradition for me. I am so touched. The bowl has been broken many times and is full of metal rivets.
November 23, 2024 at 1:48 PM
My wife's oldest friend (she saw her on the day she was born) always through Emma's long illness planted her granny's bowl with cyclamen for Christmas, and now she is continuing the tradition for me. I am so touched. The bowl has been broken many times and is full of metal rivets.
This is the 4th issue of a wonderful (and beautifully produced) magazine edited by Jon Appleton (jon@lettersfromrobin.com). So fascinating for anyone interested in the children's literature of the 60s/70s/80s.
Trying to add Alt text, but can't work out how to do it.
Trying to add Alt text, but can't work out how to do it.
November 23, 2024 at 1:19 PM
This is the 4th issue of a wonderful (and beautifully produced) magazine edited by Jon Appleton (jon@lettersfromrobin.com). So fascinating for anyone interested in the children's literature of the 60s/70s/80s.
Trying to add Alt text, but can't work out how to do it.
Trying to add Alt text, but can't work out how to do it.
I've had occasion over on Twitter (Bob Dylan is now on it, folks, just as everyone is leaving - always the contrarian) to remember these books of mine about a family of red squirrels in the series Tales of Heartsease Wood. Tracey Williamson did such beautiful illustrations.
November 20, 2024 at 4:29 PM
I've had occasion over on Twitter (Bob Dylan is now on it, folks, just as everyone is leaving - always the contrarian) to remember these books of mine about a family of red squirrels in the series Tales of Heartsease Wood. Tracey Williamson did such beautiful illustrations.
Every branch big with it,
Bent every twig with it;
Thomas Hardy, "Snow in the Suburbs"
Bent every twig with it;
Thomas Hardy, "Snow in the Suburbs"
November 19, 2024 at 9:26 AM
Every branch big with it,
Bent every twig with it;
Thomas Hardy, "Snow in the Suburbs"
Bent every twig with it;
Thomas Hardy, "Snow in the Suburbs"
Tomorrow is the first anniversary of the death of my beloved wife Emma - together for 49 years and never a cross word. Unlikely to be posting then, so here is my favourite photo of us together, behind a fountain in the gardens at Rousham.
November 18, 2024 at 11:23 PM
Tomorrow is the first anniversary of the death of my beloved wife Emma - together for 49 years and never a cross word. Unlikely to be posting then, so here is my favourite photo of us together, behind a fountain in the gardens at Rousham.
My darling Kiki will not let anything bad to happen to me. She was so close to my face I could barely take a photo.
November 17, 2024 at 11:35 PM
My darling Kiki will not let anything bad to happen to me. She was so close to my face I could barely take a photo.
Searching for a missing kitchen item, I found a box with two George III silver teaspoons given to us for our Silver Wedding. They were made by Godbehere - is there a better name anywhere in the world?
November 16, 2024 at 1:25 PM
Searching for a missing kitchen item, I found a box with two George III silver teaspoons given to us for our Silver Wedding. They were made by Godbehere - is there a better name anywhere in the world?
This is me, new friends, doing my celebrated impersonation of an autumnal beech tree.
November 14, 2024 at 11:50 PM
This is me, new friends, doing my celebrated impersonation of an autumnal beech tree.
Wrote a story today - what fun. I've been poorly in recent months, so not got much work done. Happy to be back at the computer-face, even if my cat's idea of helping was walking all over the keyboard and altering the text, sleeping on the mouse, and knocking the computer askew. Butter wouldn't melt.
November 14, 2024 at 11:31 PM
Wrote a story today - what fun. I've been poorly in recent months, so not got much work done. Happy to be back at the computer-face, even if my cat's idea of helping was walking all over the keyboard and altering the text, sleeping on the mouse, and knocking the computer askew. Butter wouldn't melt.