Best Folklore
Utagawa Hiroshige’s Foxfires at Oji is a woodcut from his renowned series, One Hundred Famous Views of Edo. Created in 1857, it captures a traditional Japanese New Year's Eve custom involving fox spirits—known as *okitoyo*. The print depicts figures gathering around fires near the Oji Inari Shrine,...
Wolfwalkers tells the story of a young apprentice hunter who befriends a girl who can transform into a wolf and its pack. This animated film, created by Cartoon Saloon, draws upon Irish folklore and medieval history. It’s notable for its stunning visuals and unique portrayal of the relationship betw...
'Over the Garden Wall' is a beautifully animated miniseries from Cartoon Network that blends folklore, mystery, and whimsical storytelling. Following two brothers lost in a mysterious forest, the show creates an atmosphere of enchanting wonder and subtle melancholy. Its unique visual style, evocativ...
Jim Henson’s The Storyteller presents a collection of animated tales drawn from European folklore. Each episode blends live-action performances with intricate puppet animation created by Jim Henson and his team. These stories, originating in the 1980s, offer imaginative interpretations of classic na...
Mocha Dick was a large sperm whale that resided in the Pacific Ocean near Mocha Island, Chile during the early 19th century. This animal gained notoriety for its remarkable resilience against repeated whaling attempts, leading to numerous accounts of its size and ferocity. Its existence significantl...
“Song of the Sea is a visually stunning 2014 animated film from Cartoon Saloon. The story explores Irish folklore centered around a young boy who discovers his selkie father’s ability to transform into a seal. It’s notable for its unique artistic style and heartfelt narrative. The film appeals to f...
The "Cardigan" music video features Taylor Swift performing an intimate indie-folk song from her *Folklore* album. Shot in a serene forest setting with prominent piano elements, it showcases Swift’s artistic evolution and storytelling abilities. The video’s aesthetic and the song's melancholic theme...
The Curupira is a legendary figure in Brazilian Indigenous folklore, most prominently associated with Tupi-Guarani traditions, serving as a guardian spirit of the forest. The creature is typically described as short in stature with distinctive backward-pointing feet, which create misleading tracks t...
The Erlking is a supernatural figure originating from Germanic folklore, often depicted as a malevolent forest spirit or fairy who lures humans, particularly children, to their demise. The entity was significantly popularized in literature by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's 1782 poem "Der Erlkönig," wh...
Baba Yaga is a complex figure within Slavic folklore, particularly prominent in Russian tales. She embodies both terrifying power and ambiguous wisdom. Often depicted as an old woman dwelling in a hut that walks on chicken legs, Baba Yaga represents the wildness of the forest and the dangers inheren...
El Silbón is a prominent figure in the folklore of Venezuela's Los Llanos region, as well as parts of Colombia. According to legend, he is a towering, emaciated specter who wanders the plains carrying a sack filled with the bones of his father, whom he murdered. He is identifiable by his characteris...
The Storyteller is a British-American fantasy anthology television series created by Jim Henson and first broadcast in 1988. Each episode adapts a European folk tale through live-action performance, elaborate creatures, puppetry, and visual effects, with John Hurt portraying the title narrator besid...
Vladimir Dahl was a prominent Russian lexicographer best known for his comprehensive Explanatory Dictionary of the Living Great Russian Language. Completed between 1863 and 1866, this dictionary meticulously documented language usage during its time, representing a significant contribution to lingui...
Saci is a figure from Brazilian folklore depicted as a one-legged Black youth who wears a red magic cap and smokes a pipe. He is a trickster known for hiding household objects, scaring horses, and creating whirlwinds or dust devils. The character originated in Indigenous and Afro-Brazilian tradition...
“The Secret of Kells presents a visually stunning animated film rooted in Irish mythology. It tells the story of a young monk’s quest to protect the illuminated manuscript known as the Book of Kells. The film's meticulous recreation of Celtic art and its exploration of ancient beliefs make it notabl...
The banshee is a female spirit in Irish and wider Gaelic folklore associated with foretelling death, typically through a mournful wailing or keening known in Irish as caoineadh. The name derives from 'bean sí,' meaning 'woman of the fairy mound.' Traditions hold that she particularly follows certain...
The dybbuk is a concept in Jewish folklore referring to the spirit of a dead person that is believed to possess a living body, often because of unresolved sin or unfinished business. The figure was popularized by S. Ansky's Yiddish play The Dybbuk, or Between Two Worlds, first staged in the early tw...
Wolfwalkers is a 2020 animated fantasy adventure directed by Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart and produced by Cartoon Saloon. Set in seventeenth-century Kilkenny, it follows Robyn, the daughter of an English wolf hunter, whose friendship with the forest-dwelling Mebh challenges the campaign to destroy th...
The kraken is a gigantic sea creature from Scandinavian maritime tradition, especially associated with accounts from Norway and the surrounding North Atlantic. Writers including the 18th-century bishop Erik Pontoppidan described it as so immense that sailors might mistake its surfaced body for an is...
The Aswang is a prominent, shape-shifting monster in Philippine folklore, known for its ability to alter its physical form, often transforming into a pig, dog, or bird. It functions as a broad umbrella term for various supernatural predators, including ghouls, vampires, and witches, that are typical...
Boitatá is a legendary creature from Brazilian folklore, typically described as a fiery serpent that protects forests and fields. The legend has origins in Indigenous traditions, particularly among the Tupi people, though it has been incorporated into broader Brazilian folk culture. According to tra...
The Selkie Wife is a traditional tale type found particularly in Scottish, Irish, and other North Atlantic folklore. A man steals or hides the sealskin of a selkie woman, preventing her from returning to the sea and compelling her to live as his wife, often bearing children with him. When she eventu...
The Thunderbird is a legendary creature frequently depicted in the mythology and art of various Indigenous peoples of North America, particularly in the Pacific Northwest, Plains, and Northeastern Woodlands. It is typically described as an enormous, supernatural bird capable of creating thunder by f...
"My Life in the Bush of Ghosts" is a novel by Nigerian author Amos Tutuola, first published in 1952. The narrative follows an unnamed narrator who becomes lost in the "Bush of Ghosts," a supernatural wilderness populated by a vast hierarchy of spirits, demons, and otherworldly entities. Drawing heav...
Butterfly Lovers recounts the poignant story of Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai, two individuals bound by a deep love despite societal constraints. This Chinese legend, rooted in the Eastern Jin dynasty, details their forbidden romance culminating in a tragic transformation into butterflies upon their...
Song of the Sea is a 2014 animated fantasy film directed by Tomm Moore and produced by the Irish studio Cartoon Saloon. It follows siblings Ben and Saoirse, the latter a selkie, as they encounter figures drawn from Irish folklore and attempt to restore a fading supernatural world. The hand-drawn fil...
The Black Charro is a Mexican spectral horseman dressed in black who tempts travelers with wealth, then reveals a diabolical nature and claims their souls.
The Soucouyant is a Caribbean folkloric witch who sheds her skin at night, becomes a ball of fire, and enters homes to drain victims' blood.
La Siguanaba is a supernatural woman in Central American folklore who appears beautiful from behind, then reveals a horrifying face to wandering men.
The Strigoi are Romanian undead or witchlike beings, central to Balkan vampire lore and often linked with grave unrest and blood drinking.
