David Castleton (Author)

Semi-ruined castle with an imposing, intact tower.

Frankenstein Castle, Hesse, Germany, was the birthplace of an alchemist who allegedly invented an elixir of life & conducted experiments on dead bodies. Some claim he tried to animate the bodies with lightning & that he may have inspired Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. #WyrdWednesday #folklore #gothic

Mount Vesuvius viewed across the bay from Naples. A church tower with bells is in the foreground.

Mount Vesuvius, near Naples, was - according to Roman myth - once inhabited by a race of giant bandits. These 'sons of the earth' were subdued by Heracles, who seems to have been worshipped in the surrounding area. #FairytaleTuesday #folklore #mythology #history

'You know what' began in 1963,
Between the end of the Chatterley ban,
And the Beatles' first LP

1932 'authorised' edition of Lady Chatterley's Lover. The book has a plain grey cover with red lettering.

Lady Chatterley's Lover was 1st published privately in Florence. An attempt by Penguin in 1960 to publish an uncensored version in the UK resulted in an obscenity trial at the Old Bailey, which Penguin won. Helped by this publicity, 3 million copies were soon sold #LegendaryWednesday #booksky #books

Grey stone carving of Helios as a long-haired youngish man. He has a sun-like halo around his head and is driving a chariot with four horses.

The Greek sun god Helios driving his chariot across the sky. A fairly minor deity, Helios was maybe best known for having his cattle killed & eaten by Odysseus's men. In later antiquity, he grew in importance due to being identified with powerful solar gods like Apollo & Sol. #FolkyFriday #folklore

Large model of a red-coloured elephant with a turret on its back in South London's Elephant and Castle district. A large office block is in the background and the sky is blue.

The elephant & castle is a traditional symbol of strength. It was used on coinage in the 1st century BC. The Romans used war elephants, including in the invasion of Britain. The South London area of Elephant & Castle likely derives its name from a pub. #FairytaleTuesday #history #folklore #London

A bowl and a shaker of salt with some spilt on a black surface

Superstition states that if you spill salt during a meal, you should throw some over your shoulder to avoid bad luck or to keep evil at bay. This possibly links back to a time when salt was very expensive so it was considered bad luck to waste it. #FolkyFriday #folklore #history #food

#LegendaryWednesday
In return for using his sorcery to enable Uther Pendragon to seduce Igraine, Merlin took the baby conceived through their liaison - Arthur - and oversaw his upbringing and education.

The figure of Satan - illuminated by a ray of light - plummets through space, in a drawing by Gustave Dore.

"Some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall" William #Shakespeare, Measure for Measure. #ShakespeareSunday #literature #theatre #books #gothic

'Whitechapel Bell Foundry' (from 'Odd Jobs', 1935) by Pearl Binder

#BookSky

England’s Top 10 Gibbets, Gallows & Places of Execution - David Castleton Blog - The Serpent's Pen The remains of gibbets & gallows scattered across England are linked to legends of pirates, ghostly highwaymen, skulls in attics, cursed chairs, guillotines

@david-castleton.bsky.social
Interesting read.
www.davidcastleton.net/gibbets-gall...

Many thanks, Sarah, glad you enjoyed it. :)

A barbed-wire fence stretching into Dozmary Pool - a dark, wide lake beneath an overcast sky.

Dozmary Pool, on Bodmin Moor, #Cornwall, is said to have been the abode of the Lady of the Lake of Arthurian #mythology. It was also said to be home to a grim giant or damned soul who could be heard howling on stormy nights. My article: www.davidcastleton.net/dozmary-pool... #WyrdWednesday #folklore

Two crossed metal keys lying on a map showing the west coast of North and Central America.

St Valentine's Keys are exchanged between lovers in Italy in the belief they may 'unlock the giver's heart'. Some also see them as a charm to ward off epilepsy, which in #medieval times was called 'St Valentine's Malady'. #FairytaleTuesday #gothic #folklore #weird

In Moscow, 16.04.2016, celebrated the 117th birthday of the tram. A column of vintage cars parade proceeded from Shabolovka to the Chistye Prudy, where he hosts the exhibition of rarities. On display were the 15 tram cars from different eras, including horse-drawn competition of the XIX century. Camera: Canon EOS 55 + Lens: Canon Zoom Lens EF 70-210mm Film: Kodak Professional TRI-X 400 FILM (expiry date is not known, but certainly more than 10 years) Photo taken: 16/04/2016 Scanner: Epson Stylus Photo RX500

In Moscow, 16.04.2016, celebrated the 117th birthday of the tram. A column of vintage cars parade proceeded from Shabolovka to the Chistye Prudy, where he hosts the exhibition of rarities. On display were the 15 tram cars from different eras, including horse-drawn competition of the XIX century. Camera: Canon EOS 55 + Lens: Canon Zoom Lens EF 70-210mm Film: Kodak Professional TRI-X 400 FILM (expiry date is not known, but certainly more than 10 years) Photo taken: 16/04/2016 Scanner: Epson Stylus Photo RX500

In Moscow, 16.04.2016, celebrated the 117th birthday of the tram. A column of vintage cars parade proceeded from Shabolovka to the Chistye Prudy, where he hosts the exhibition of rarities. On display were the 15 tram cars from different eras, including horse-drawn competition of the XIX century. Camera: Canon EOS 55 + Lens: Canon Zoom Lens EF 70-210mm Film: Kodak Professional TRI-X 400 FILM (expiry date is not known, but certainly more than 10 years) Photo taken: 16/04/2016 Scanner: Epson Stylus Photo RX500

In Moscow, 16.04.2016, celebrated the 117th birthday of the tram. A column of vintage cars parade proceeded from Shabolovka to the Chistye Prudy, where he hosts the exhibition of rarities. On display were the 15 tram cars from different eras, including horse-drawn competition of the XIX century. Camera: Canon EOS 55 + Lens: Canon Zoom Lens EF 70-210mm Film: Kodak Professional TRI-X 400 FILM (expiry date is not known, but certainly more than 10 years) Photo taken: 16/04/2016 Scanner: Epson Stylus Photo RX500

Moscow Tram Festival in Moscow 2016 (TRI-X 400).
Camera: Canon EOS 55
Lens: Canon Zoom Lens EF 70-210mm
Film: Kodak Professional TRI-X 400 FILM
16/04/2016

#filmphotography #blackandwhite #trix400film #trix400 #35mm #believeinfilm #streetphotography #believeinfilm #film #blackandwhitephoto #bwfilm

Loch Morar, framed by wooded mountains.

In addition to Loch Ness, several other Scottish lakes claim monsters. In Loch Morar lurks Morag. The first sighting is said to date to 1887. Two men in a boat attacked by Morag described her as brown, 25-30-feet long & with three dorsal humps. #SwampSunday #folklore #Scotland #weird #cryptoids

Painting showing five men enjoying a good time in a classical setting. One is playing a lute; there are bagpipes on the floor.

"Frame your mind to mirth and merriment, which bars a thousand harms and lengthens life." #Shakespeare, The Taming of the Shrew. #ShakespeareSunday #literature #books #theatre

It's by William Blake, a great poet, artist and thinker. If you're unfamiliar with his work, I'd recommend looking him up. :)

Picture of Hecate by William Blake. It is night and the goddess - depicted as a young dark-haired woman - sits in front of two naked figures, surrounded by a horse, owl and bat.

The Greek goddess Hecate was associated with crossroads & boundaries. Some felt she had the power to unlock gates between realms. The poet Theocritus stated she could unlock the gates of death. Virgil described the entrance to Hades as 'Hecate's Grove'. #BookWormSat #folklore #mythology #art

Three small, tree-covered hills in a heath-like landscape

In Frensham, Surrey, are 3 hills called the Devil's Jumps. #Folklore claims the Devil stole a cauldron from a local witch, who set off on her broomstick in pursuit. As he ran away, the Fiend made three huge leaps, throwing up mounds of dirt that became the hills. #FolkyFriday #gothic #weird

Cartoon of St Swithun in bishops robes in front of a weather map of Britain.

It's said that if it rains on St Swithun's Day (15th July) it will rain for the next 40 days. #Folklore claims comes from him asking to be buried outside where the raindrops would fall on his tomb. When moved indoors in 971, he expressed his displeasure with a torrential downpour. #WyrdWednesday

An 19th century image of Jack Frost - depicted as a general during the American Civil War - covered in spikes of ice and riding a spiky horse.

Jack Frost is a figure in English #folklore said to leave fernlike patterns of ice on windows & to nip fingers & toes. The 1st known reference to Jack is in the book 'Round about our Coal Fire', 1732, but he may have roots in older personifications of winter. #FairytaleTuesday #history #weird

It's not quite that terrifying.

It's from Wikipedia.

Wooden pier - with a small boat tied to it - jutting out into the marshy shallows of the St Johns River. Dusk is approaching, and on the other side of the river trees are silhouetted against the sky.

A monster has been spotted several times in and around the St Johns River, #Florida. Descriptions have ranged from a brontosaurus to a big manatee-type creature to a dragon-like animal with a head resembling a snail's with giant horns. #SwampSunday #folklore #weird #cryptozoology

Painting of Narcissus leaning over some rocks and staring at his own reflection in a pool.

Narcissus was the subject of a prophecy - that he would only live long if he never knew himself - & a curse: that the one he fell in love with could never love him back. He fell for his own reflection in a pool & melted away from the fire of his passion. #FolkloreSunday #folklore #mythology #art

Black-and-white photo of a misty graveyard with uneven ground and bare trees

"By heaven, I will tear thee joint from joint
And strew this hungry churchyard with thy limbs
The time and my intents are savage, wild,
More fierce and inexorable far
Than empty tigers or the roaring sea."

#Shakespeare, Romeo & Juliet. #ShakespeareSunday #graveyard #gothic #literature #books

James Joyce at the age of 36. He is wearing a buttoned-up dark coat and glasses and his hair is swept back. He is looking sideways.

Finnegan's Wake by James Joyce begins and ends with the same sentence. So, after making the colossal effort to slog through the gargantuan, barely comprehensible tome, you end up right back where you started - something that probably amused Joyce immensely. #BookWormSat #literature #books #weird

1817 painting of Prometheus holding a smoking torch aloft in a heroic pose. A human figure - of dark rock or clay, lacking life and animation - sits slumped next to him.

Prometheus stole fire from the Greek gods & gave it to humanity, for which he was severely punished. Seen as the author of human arts & sciences, he represented the striving for knowledge. The Romantics saw him as a lone genius, whose efforts could lead to tragedy. #FolkyFriday #folklore #mythology