I love collecting information about myths, legends, and folklore. So I was happy when I found this fun hashtag they use on Twitter: #FolkloreThursday. Not sure why they picked Thursday. But the tweets are very interesting. There are Inuit tales, legends from Azerbaijan, stories about cats, rats, and foxes, and of course, Scheherazade. You can’t talk about folklore or story tales and not mention the name Scheherazade.
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Another Inuit tale is about Raven and Owl. Best friends forever, they wanted to become more beautiful. So Raven painted her with an ornament, but Owl was lazy and just poured out a bucket of black paint on him. That’s how their friendship ended once and for all #FolkloreThursday pic.twitter.com/ApFJ1SuNrY
— Natalja Saint-Germain (@bjorn_stjerne) February 6, 2020
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In Azerbaijan, there’s a legend that the city-fortress+fire temple of Baku was surrounded by an enemy and saved when a girl w/ fiery hair appeared. She defeated their leader in one-on-one combat, made him her husband, and saved the people of Baku from slavery. #folklorethursday pic.twitter.com/Kp6I7VlxzU
— ˗ˏˋ mattie ˊˎ˗ (@mattievictoria9) February 6, 2020
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In Hebrew legend cats were not made at the time of Earth's creation
When The Ark became infested with rats, Noah asked for a miracle. He was sent a pair of cats who killed every rat but the original two
Such was Noah's gratitude that cats are proud to this day!#FolkloreThursday pic.twitter.com/25ltNM33Bl— MagpieintheMoonlight (@MagpieMoonlight) February 6, 2020
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Stories of the cairn of Bryn-yr-Ellyllon, 'the hill of the goblin', near Mold, tell of the Brenin yr Allt, (the King of the Hillside), a ghost clad in golden armour. In 1833, excavations in the cairn discovered a skeleton clad in a golden cape… #FolkloreThursday pic.twitter.com/vczMAqKG9D
— Dr. Katy Soar 🏺🏛📷👻 (@KJSoar) February 6, 2020
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Thought to be the oldest tale at 7,000 yrs old,The Smith & The Devil,is the story of a blacksmith who sells his soul to the Devil in return to possess supernatural powers,only in turn to use them against the Devil & trap the malevolent creature.#folklorethursday pic.twitter.com/jGTRy931du
— Diane 💫 (@dianeechambers) February 6, 2020
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#FolkloreThursday Ignis fatuus, the 'will o the wisp', once more commonly seen, often in oak woods, were also known as corpse candles. They were spirits, and could lead you into a bog. Natural gas, Now a rare phenomenon, due to vastly increased agriculture, drainage & irrigation. pic.twitter.com/hNtPpE96YC
— Katie-Ellen H. (@truetarottales) February 6, 2020
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Throughout the Mediterranean and North Africa (and even in faraway places such as Taos, New Mexico) the color blue is thought to repel evil from one's front door.#FolkloreThursday pic.twitter.com/aZeYGfLB7A
— Tamariska (@TamlynRogers) May 3, 2018
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The praying mantis was, unsurprisingly, believed by Europeans to be always praying. In Muslim folktales it prayed facing Mecca. In France it directed lost children home and in S. Africa could restore the dead to life. In Appalachia it was said to blind people. #FolkloreThursday pic.twitter.com/ZJTUa9xng6
— Susan C Wilson 📚 Clytemnestra’s Bind – out now! (@BronzeAgeWummin) September 26, 2019
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Kitsune/Foxes 🦊 in Japanese folklore are intelligent, magical beings who can take on human form. While some folktales speak of kitsune employing human shapeshifting to trick others, many stories portray them as faithful guardians, friends, lovers, and wives. #FolkloreThursday pic.twitter.com/BsNcH23xcd
— Siân E Powell〓〓🏴 (@SianEsther) August 16, 2018
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#FolkloreThursday Scheherazade married the Persian king so she could thwart him from daily marrying and beheading a new bride. For 1,001 nights she told him stories ending on enthralling cliffhangers that compelled him to keep her alive another day. Finally, he spared her life. pic.twitter.com/eNdjxc2zkM
— Susan C Wilson 📚 Clytemnestra’s Bind – out now! (@BronzeAgeWummin) October 3, 2019
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Cool tweets again. Love the one about the Hebrew cat legend. Who knew!
I was surprised to find that one. I don’t hear about very many Hebrew legends.