MythCrafts
@mythcrafts.bsky.social
We are Mythologists who also love folklore, history, pop culture and anything weird and unusual. Mythcrafts.com
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MythCrafts
@mythcrafts.bsky.social
· Aug 10
Born from the Flames: Salamander Mythology
Discover the intriguing world of salamanders, their regenerative powers, and the folklore intertwining magic and medicine throughout history.
mythcrafts.com
Salamanders are connected with folk magic and were thought of as one of the 4 elemental creatures in Alchemy. They were also thought to be the source of a curious ancient relic: the fire cleansed cloth.
mythcrafts.com/2025/08/09/b...
mythcrafts.com/2025/08/09/b...
Reposted by MythCrafts
Tomorrow is St Lucy’s Day and her being a light in the darkness is celebrated in many European regions.
But on the eve of Lucy’s feast day, her dark counterpart Lussi rides through Sweden’s winter night with her demon retinue, the lussiferda.
Read of her in our 13th #Yulefolklore tale below!
But on the eve of Lucy’s feast day, her dark counterpart Lussi rides through Sweden’s winter night with her demon retinue, the lussiferda.
Read of her in our 13th #Yulefolklore tale below!
December 12, 2025 at 6:38 AM
Tomorrow is St Lucy’s Day and her being a light in the darkness is celebrated in many European regions.
But on the eve of Lucy’s feast day, her dark counterpart Lussi rides through Sweden’s winter night with her demon retinue, the lussiferda.
Read of her in our 13th #Yulefolklore tale below!
But on the eve of Lucy’s feast day, her dark counterpart Lussi rides through Sweden’s winter night with her demon retinue, the lussiferda.
Read of her in our 13th #Yulefolklore tale below!
Reposted by MythCrafts
I’m excited to show you my finished Krampus marionette/puppet in action. look at him go! 🌲
December 12, 2025 at 8:16 PM
I’m excited to show you my finished Krampus marionette/puppet in action. look at him go! 🌲
El Caganer (which roughly translates to “The Shitter”) is a figurine that is crouched down, pants around its ankles and visibly defecating. A unique addition to the traditional Nativity scene in Catalonia.
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#bookologythursday
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#bookologythursday
mythcrafts.com/2019/12/18/e...
El Caganer: Gifts That Keep On Giving.
El Caganer (which roughly translates to “The Shitter”) is one of the top billed customs on those “Craziest Christmas Traditions Around the World” lists that circulate through social media each year…
mythcrafts.com
December 11, 2025 at 12:47 PM
El Caganer (which roughly translates to “The Shitter”) is a figurine that is crouched down, pants around its ankles and visibly defecating. A unique addition to the traditional Nativity scene in Catalonia.
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#bookologythursday
mythcrafts.com/2019/12/18/e...
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#bookologythursday
mythcrafts.com/2019/12/18/e...
Krampus’ name is probably from the German kramp/krampen, which means claw (though another possible etymology comes from the Bavarian word krampn, which means dead or rotten)
#folklorethursday
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#folklorethursday
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Greeting from Krampus!
For every Yin, there is a Yang. Every time the Beatles sang that they ‘want(ed) to hold your hand’, there was a Mick Jagger swaggering on a different stage, snickering just exactly wher…
mythcrafts.com
December 11, 2025 at 12:40 PM
Krampus’ name is probably from the German kramp/krampen, which means claw (though another possible etymology comes from the Bavarian word krampn, which means dead or rotten)
#folklorethursday
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mythcrafts.com/2024/12/05/g...
#folklorethursday
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mythcrafts.com/2024/12/05/g...
Most accounts of Perchta concur on the major themes: she was associated with spinning, she traveled with a litany of others, and she loved slitting open the bellies of naughty children and stuffing them with straw or garbage.
#folklorethursday
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mythcrafts.com/2024/12/12/t...
#folklorethursday
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mythcrafts.com/2024/12/12/t...
The Rounder the Belly, the Harder it is to Slit! Beware Frau Perchta
Frau Perchta is a folkloric figure from the Alpine region, one that rewards the good and punishes the bad around Winter festival time. Like most folkloric figures, every locality has a slightly dif…
mythcrafts.com
December 11, 2025 at 12:38 PM
Most accounts of Perchta concur on the major themes: she was associated with spinning, she traveled with a litany of others, and she loved slitting open the bellies of naughty children and stuffing them with straw or garbage.
#folklorethursday
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mythcrafts.com/2024/12/12/t...
#folklorethursday
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mythcrafts.com/2024/12/12/t...
From deep underground, the Kallikantzaroi spend their days sawing away at the roots of the Tree of Life hoping to destroy the world.
And when the Winter Solstice breaks, they claw their way up to create chaos on the surface.
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#WyrdWednesday
mythcrafts.com/2022/12/15/i...
And when the Winter Solstice breaks, they claw their way up to create chaos on the surface.
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#WyrdWednesday
mythcrafts.com/2022/12/15/i...
In the Dead of Winter, Come the Kallikantzaros: The Tree Will Stand
This post deals with the Kallikantzaros, mythical creatures who are determined to cut down the Tree of Life, and harass humans for 12 long Winter days and nights.
mythcrafts.com
December 10, 2025 at 5:26 AM
From deep underground, the Kallikantzaroi spend their days sawing away at the roots of the Tree of Life hoping to destroy the world.
And when the Winter Solstice breaks, they claw their way up to create chaos on the surface.
🔗👇
#WyrdWednesday
mythcrafts.com/2022/12/15/i...
And when the Winter Solstice breaks, they claw their way up to create chaos on the surface.
🔗👇
#WyrdWednesday
mythcrafts.com/2022/12/15/i...
The Heroides are 15 poems, all written by Ovid. They are presented as love letters, sent from women who have been mistreated, neglected, or abandoned by classical Greek ‘heroes’.
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#mythologymonday
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#mythologymonday
mythcrafts.com/2018/11/01/h...
Heroines and Heroes: Ovid’s Heroides
It goes without question that the Roman poet Ovid’s greatest contribution to our understanding of classical mythology is his Metamorphosis. Born in 43 BCE, and dying between 17/18 of the comm…
mythcrafts.com
December 8, 2025 at 11:43 AM
The Heroides are 15 poems, all written by Ovid. They are presented as love letters, sent from women who have been mistreated, neglected, or abandoned by classical Greek ‘heroes’.
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#mythologymonday
mythcrafts.com/2018/11/01/h...
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#mythologymonday
mythcrafts.com/2018/11/01/h...
Weasel myths warn against the wiles of women, especially outspoken women. They attempt to devalue women who refused to be domesticated and tamed by their male masters.
mythcrafts.com/2025/04/18/g...
mythcrafts.com/2025/04/18/g...
Greco-Roman Weasels: Magic, Midwives, and Vengeful Brides
Protecting food and grain stores was a vital element of survival in ancient times, so while ancient Egyptians were busy breeding domesticated cats to keep mice and rats at bay, the ancient Greeks p…
mythcrafts.com
December 6, 2025 at 10:51 AM
Weasel myths warn against the wiles of women, especially outspoken women. They attempt to devalue women who refused to be domesticated and tamed by their male masters.
mythcrafts.com/2025/04/18/g...
mythcrafts.com/2025/04/18/g...
The Duat is the realm of the Dead in Egyptian Mythology. Ruled by Osiris it is not so much a realm of punishment, but a land of trials and tribulations…
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mythcrafts.com/2021/09/09/g...
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mythcrafts.com/2021/09/09/g...
Guidebook to the Underworld: Egyptian Funerary Texts
The texts from which we gather knowledge of the Egyptian Underworld (Duat) include the various funerary texts which also served as guides to the underworld.
mythcrafts.com
December 5, 2025 at 6:02 AM
The Duat is the realm of the Dead in Egyptian Mythology. Ruled by Osiris it is not so much a realm of punishment, but a land of trials and tribulations…
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mythcrafts.com/2021/09/09/g...
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mythcrafts.com/2021/09/09/g...
The Goddess Aphrodite is so ingrained within our linguistic memory that we commonly use the word Aphrodisiac to describe anything that induces desire within us.
The Birth of Venus: Aphrodite through the Ages
#mythologymonday
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mythcrafts.com/2020/06/18/t...
The Birth of Venus: Aphrodite through the Ages
#mythologymonday
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mythcrafts.com/2020/06/18/t...
The Birth of Venus: Aphrodite through the Ages
If the name Aphrodite evokes images of sensuality, it honestly should. Aphrodite is so ingrained in our linguistic memory that we use a derivative word – Aphrodisiac – without even thin…
mythcrafts.com
December 1, 2025 at 12:44 PM
The Goddess Aphrodite is so ingrained within our linguistic memory that we commonly use the word Aphrodisiac to describe anything that induces desire within us.
The Birth of Venus: Aphrodite through the Ages
#mythologymonday
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mythcrafts.com/2020/06/18/t...
The Birth of Venus: Aphrodite through the Ages
#mythologymonday
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mythcrafts.com/2020/06/18/t...
As a species we humans have been interpreting our dreams as far back as recorded history goes. The Ancient Greek and Romans were no exception to this fascination with our nightly dreams and what they may reveal.
mythcrafts.com/2025/06/24/d...
mythcrafts.com/2025/06/24/d...
Exploring the Symbolism of Ancient Dreams and Their Meaning
Explore how ancient cultures interpreted dreams, from Greek mythology to modern psychology. Unlock the mysteries behind your nightly visions.
mythcrafts.com
November 21, 2025 at 1:17 AM
As a species we humans have been interpreting our dreams as far back as recorded history goes. The Ancient Greek and Romans were no exception to this fascination with our nightly dreams and what they may reveal.
mythcrafts.com/2025/06/24/d...
mythcrafts.com/2025/06/24/d...
Ever had the misfortune of being bootstrapped?
Someone insisting that all that is needed to resolve systemic barriers increased effort?
Bootstrapping comes from a satirical novel of impossible tasks misunderstood to become capitalist motivation.
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mythcrafts.com/2025/03/28/a...
Someone insisting that all that is needed to resolve systemic barriers increased effort?
Bootstrapping comes from a satirical novel of impossible tasks misunderstood to become capitalist motivation.
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mythcrafts.com/2025/03/28/a...
An Impossible Idiom: Pulling Yourself Up by the Bootstraps
Have you ever had the misfortune of being told by a potentially well intentioned, but certainly misguided, individual that: “you need to pull yourself up by your own bootstraps”? Often this sentime…
mythcrafts.com
October 28, 2025 at 9:19 PM
Ever had the misfortune of being bootstrapped?
Someone insisting that all that is needed to resolve systemic barriers increased effort?
Bootstrapping comes from a satirical novel of impossible tasks misunderstood to become capitalist motivation.
🔗👇
mythcrafts.com/2025/03/28/a...
Someone insisting that all that is needed to resolve systemic barriers increased effort?
Bootstrapping comes from a satirical novel of impossible tasks misunderstood to become capitalist motivation.
🔗👇
mythcrafts.com/2025/03/28/a...
If you do any digging into the history of Robotics, you’ll eventually hear the tale of Talos, an ancient ‘machine’ that guarded the Isle of Crete.
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mythcrafts.com/2024/02/29/a...
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mythcrafts.com/2024/02/29/a...
Ancient Cyborgs: Talos, More Human than Human
If you do any digging into the history of Robotics, you’ll eventually hear the tale of Talos, a ‘machine’ that guarded the Isle of Crete. Now, let’s consider the tale as tol…
mythcrafts.com
October 25, 2025 at 11:42 PM
If you do any digging into the history of Robotics, you’ll eventually hear the tale of Talos, an ancient ‘machine’ that guarded the Isle of Crete.
🔗👇
mythcrafts.com/2024/02/29/a...
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mythcrafts.com/2024/02/29/a...
A myth about male arrogance and how the goddess Durga was invoked to defeat demons who never conceived a female could best them....
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mythcrafts.com/2025/10/18/a...
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mythcrafts.com/2025/10/18/a...
A New Demon from Every Drop of Blood: Raktabija vs. the Divine Mothers
A myth about male arrogance and how the goddess Durga was invoked to defeat demons who never conceived a female could best them.
mythcrafts.com
October 18, 2025 at 8:11 AM
A myth about male arrogance and how the goddess Durga was invoked to defeat demons who never conceived a female could best them....
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mythcrafts.com/2025/10/18/a...
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mythcrafts.com/2025/10/18/a...
Rumors spread about Black Aggie’s paranormal activity; her demonic powers further evidenced by the fact that the earth before her figure remained a barren wasteland where even the green grass feared to grow.
#FolkloreThursday
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mythcrafts.com/2019/10/31/b...
#FolkloreThursday
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mythcrafts.com/2019/10/31/b...
Black Aggie: The Haunted Statue.
Black Aggie is the local name given to a statue that haunted the Druid Ridge Cemetery in Pikesville, Maryland until it was removed in 1967. Her face covered by a shroud; Black Aggie sat in mourning…
mythcrafts.com
October 2, 2025 at 12:04 PM
Rumors spread about Black Aggie’s paranormal activity; her demonic powers further evidenced by the fact that the earth before her figure remained a barren wasteland where even the green grass feared to grow.
#FolkloreThursday
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mythcrafts.com/2019/10/31/b...
#FolkloreThursday
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mythcrafts.com/2019/10/31/b...
As the story goes, Cormac Laird MacCarthy was rebuilding a castle in County Cork when he got into some legal issues.
And so, Cormac appealed to the Queen of the Banshees…..
#FairytaleTuesday
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mythcrafts.com/2019/03/14/c...
And so, Cormac appealed to the Queen of the Banshees…..
#FairytaleTuesday
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mythcrafts.com/2019/03/14/c...
Clíodhna and the Blarney Stone
Many, many years long past, the Tuatha Dé Danann, the divinities of the ancients, ruled over Ireland. Now some of them were merciful; others were wrathful, and still others, like the Banshees [Old …
mythcrafts.com
September 30, 2025 at 1:32 PM
As the story goes, Cormac Laird MacCarthy was rebuilding a castle in County Cork when he got into some legal issues.
And so, Cormac appealed to the Queen of the Banshees…..
#FairytaleTuesday
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mythcrafts.com/2019/03/14/c...
And so, Cormac appealed to the Queen of the Banshees…..
#FairytaleTuesday
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mythcrafts.com/2019/03/14/c...
Dotted with ancient castles and fortresses, the Upper Middle Rhine Valley in Germany has a haunting tale of a ghostly woman who lures sailors to their death with her songs.
#FairytaleTuesday
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mythcrafts.com/2023/01/15/t...
#FairytaleTuesday
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mythcrafts.com/2023/01/15/t...
The Lure of the Lorelay
The Upper Middle Rhine Valley in Germany is a protected UNESCO World heritage site. Dotted with ancient castles and fortresses which were largely abandoned by the 17th Century this area b…
mythcrafts.com
September 30, 2025 at 1:25 PM
Dotted with ancient castles and fortresses, the Upper Middle Rhine Valley in Germany has a haunting tale of a ghostly woman who lures sailors to their death with her songs.
#FairytaleTuesday
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mythcrafts.com/2023/01/15/t...
#FairytaleTuesday
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mythcrafts.com/2023/01/15/t...
When Rama returned home – and was crowned king – Sita was pregnant. Even though she had passed the trial by fire and established her faithfulness, the locals were talking….
#legendarywednesday
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#legendarywednesday
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mythcrafts.com/2017/05/23/s...
Sita Sings The Blues
Who is Sita, and why is she singing the blues? In the Hindu epic poem, the Ramayana, we come across Sita. Born of the Earth, she was adopted by royalty, and wed to a prince named Rama. In classic f…
mythcrafts.com
September 17, 2025 at 12:56 PM
When Rama returned home – and was crowned king – Sita was pregnant. Even though she had passed the trial by fire and established her faithfulness, the locals were talking….
#legendarywednesday
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mythcrafts.com/2017/05/23/s...
#legendarywednesday
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mythcrafts.com/2017/05/23/s...
Anansi, the Great Trickster spider, was determined to collect all of the sky god Nyame’s stories.
And so it was that Anansi, weaver of stories, master of tales, came into his own.
#WyrdWednesday
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mythcrafts.com/2019/01/31/a...
And so it was that Anansi, weaver of stories, master of tales, came into his own.
#WyrdWednesday
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mythcrafts.com/2019/01/31/a...
Anansi: Weaver of Stories
Imagine this: the Sky God, Nyame, has possession of all of the stories in the world. You, however, are a trickster by nature; stories are your essential to your craft. So, you go to him, and ask hi…
mythcrafts.com
September 17, 2025 at 12:54 PM
Anansi, the Great Trickster spider, was determined to collect all of the sky god Nyame’s stories.
And so it was that Anansi, weaver of stories, master of tales, came into his own.
#WyrdWednesday
🔗👇
mythcrafts.com/2019/01/31/a...
And so it was that Anansi, weaver of stories, master of tales, came into his own.
#WyrdWednesday
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mythcrafts.com/2019/01/31/a...
The Metternich stele records the spells and talismans taught to Isis to restore life to her son, Horus.
#mythologymonday
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The Magical/Medical Cippi of Horus
mythcrafts.com/2020/02/06/h...
#mythologymonday
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The Magical/Medical Cippi of Horus
mythcrafts.com/2020/02/06/h...
mythcrafts.com
September 15, 2025 at 1:00 PM
The Metternich stele records the spells and talismans taught to Isis to restore life to her son, Horus.
#mythologymonday
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The Magical/Medical Cippi of Horus
mythcrafts.com/2020/02/06/h...
#mythologymonday
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The Magical/Medical Cippi of Horus
mythcrafts.com/2020/02/06/h...
A cross between between sea serpent,
leopard and whale, the Dingonek was thought to help grow crops and cure illness.
#mythologymonday
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Waiting for Dingonek: An End to the Dread Plague. mythcrafts.com/2020/04/23/w...
leopard and whale, the Dingonek was thought to help grow crops and cure illness.
#mythologymonday
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Waiting for Dingonek: An End to the Dread Plague. mythcrafts.com/2020/04/23/w...
Waiting for Dingonek: An End to the Dread Plague
Imagine this: two big game hunters are sitting around Lake Victoria, reminiscing and being racist as one was wont to do in the early nineteen hundreds. As Edgar Beecher Bronson recounts in his 1910…
mythcrafts.com
September 15, 2025 at 12:57 PM
A cross between between sea serpent,
leopard and whale, the Dingonek was thought to help grow crops and cure illness.
#mythologymonday
🔗👇
Waiting for Dingonek: An End to the Dread Plague. mythcrafts.com/2020/04/23/w...
leopard and whale, the Dingonek was thought to help grow crops and cure illness.
#mythologymonday
🔗👇
Waiting for Dingonek: An End to the Dread Plague. mythcrafts.com/2020/04/23/w...
In Tibetan, the word Ro means ‘corpse’.
And Langs means to ‘rise up’.
You can do the math…
Touched by a Zombie: the Tibetan Ro-Langs
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#WyrdWednesday
mythcrafts.com/2019/10/29/t...
And Langs means to ‘rise up’.
You can do the math…
Touched by a Zombie: the Tibetan Ro-Langs
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#WyrdWednesday
mythcrafts.com/2019/10/29/t...
Touched by a Zombie: the Tibetan Ro-Langs
In the past, Zombie possession was typically presented in Western media as a function of sorcery, often tied to Africa or Haiti. While these Zombies were mind controlled slaves, who could in theory…
mythcrafts.com
September 9, 2025 at 12:54 PM
In Tibetan, the word Ro means ‘corpse’.
And Langs means to ‘rise up’.
You can do the math…
Touched by a Zombie: the Tibetan Ro-Langs
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#WyrdWednesday
mythcrafts.com/2019/10/29/t...
And Langs means to ‘rise up’.
You can do the math…
Touched by a Zombie: the Tibetan Ro-Langs
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#WyrdWednesday
mythcrafts.com/2019/10/29/t...
Carl Tanzler became fascinated with an apparition’s message showing him his one true love. Once he found her, he wasn’t going to let her death spoil their romance…
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#wyrdwednesday
mythcrafts.com/2020/03/03/t...
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#wyrdwednesday
mythcrafts.com/2020/03/03/t...
The Secret of Elena’s Tomb: the Haunted Heart of Carl Tanzler
Imagine this: as a young boy in Germany, you’re haunted by a ghost. A long dead ancestor, she gives you a vision of your true love: She shows you a young woman who is exotic, dark haired, dar…
mythcrafts.com
September 9, 2025 at 12:51 PM
Carl Tanzler became fascinated with an apparition’s message showing him his one true love. Once he found her, he wasn’t going to let her death spoil their romance…
🔗👇
#wyrdwednesday
mythcrafts.com/2020/03/03/t...
🔗👇
#wyrdwednesday
mythcrafts.com/2020/03/03/t...