People in Ireland and Scotland get nervous if February 1st is unusually sunny, as it may be because the Cailleach has decided to extend the length of winter. This nasty fairy hag makes the day sunny so that she can stockpile firewood before covering the land in pitiless blizzards. #WyrdWednesday

In early Finnish mythology, storms were caused by the "Thunder Eagle," a huge bird who spat fire and lightning, and whose wings made thunder. In later versions, storms were instead caused by the god Ukko throwing his stone axes and driving his chariot in the sky. 🎨Robert Ekman #WyrdWednesday

In Norse mythology, the mountain giantess Skadi married the sea god Njord, as he had lovely legs. But Skadi found that she hated the beach since she couldn't ski and gulls squawked all day, and Njord hated the cold mountains since he couldn't swim and wolves howled all night. #FairyTaleTuesday

The afanc is a Welsh lake monster with poisonous quills that battles Peredur (Sir Percival) and other warriors of King Arthur. Early legends don't describe the afanc, while later depictions vary, such as describing it as a giant fish, a serpent, or even a beaver/crocodile hybrid. #FairyTaleTuesday

Show me a comic book page you love, no explanation needed.

In the earlier versions of "Hansel and Gretel" (including the one recorded by the Brothers Grimm), the witch's cottage has bread walls, a cake roof, and sugar windows. It was the 1893 opera by Engelbert Humperdinck that changed it to a gingerbread cottage covered in candy. #MythologyMonday

One of the most depressing moments is Orion in "Kingdom Come," who has come to resemble Darkseid but still wants to be a good person. His general attitude is "yes, this sucks, but what can I do?" "I'm a god, but I don't have the power to be a better god."

It was shocking to reread late 1980s (and early 90s) comics, and see how even then a lot of Middle Eastern and Latino characters were given a bizarre gray skin tone.

As the term "mancy" originally referred to divination, originally "necromancy" was less about raising zombies and more about using the dead to predict the future, such as by throwing bones, studying entrails, or summoning a prophetic ghost for questioning. 🎨Ebenezer Sibley #PhantomsFriday

I find it kind of funny that Disney comes out with a new movie adaptation of "Freaky Friday" every decade or so, but the novel's two sequels have never been adapted.

The al-mi'raj from medieval Arabic folklore resembles a yellow hare with a single horn. This creature is so fierce that much larger animals flee from it. The inhabitants of an island in the Indian Ocean gave Alexander the Great an al-mi'raj to repay him for slaying a dragon. #WyrdWednesday

In Arabian folklore, one of Sinbad the Sailor's adventures was when he sailed to the City of Apes. The city's inhabitants must sleep in boats on the water since at night savage apes come down from the mountains and enter the city to steal its fruit and attack any humans they find. #WyrdWednesday

Iren Horrors depicts various Christmas monsters from Europe: the Krampus (a demon from Central and Eastern Europe), the Yule Cat (a giant cat from Iceland), the Gryla (a hag from Iceland), the Befana (a hag from Italy), and Frau Perchta (a shapeshifter from the German Alps). #FairyTaleTuesday

The Yule Cat is a huge cat in Icelandic folklore that eats people who did not receive new clothes at Christmas. The cat incentivized farmworkers to finish processing the wool they had collected before Christmas, since they received clothing as a reward. 🎨Iren Horrors #FairyTaleTuesday

In Welsh folklore, the great bard Taliesin claimed to be the embodiment of the Awen, the spirit of creativity and inspiration. He claimed that as a spirit, he had been with Jesus at his crucifixion and Noah on his arc. Though it is ambiguous how literally Taliesin meant this. #FolkloreSunday

"It was a snowflake, the most beautiful he had ever seen... a star glistening like crystal in the soft light.... It gradually assumed the shape of a tiny silver spider. Had the wind heard [Gwyn] after after? Was he a magician then?" - Jenny Nimmo, "The Snow Spider" #BookWormSat

"Once there was a race between a rabbit and an eggplant. Everybody bet lots of money on the eggplant, thinking that if a vegetable challenges a live animal with four legs to a race, then it must be that the vegetable knows something...." - Daniel Pinkwater, "Borgel" 🎨Caitlin Bensel #BookWormSat

In Welsh myths, the hero Lleu Llaw Gyffes could not be killed during the day or night, not indoors nor outdoors, neither riding nor walking, not clothed and not naked. Thus, he was killed at dusk in a lean-to, wrapped in a net with one foot on a cauldron or bath and one on a goat. #MythologyMonday

Among the old British Celts, a newborn prince would often be given to another family to raise until he became an adult. In some early King Arthur stories, Arthur is raised by the fairies. In later stories, he's instead raised by Sir Ector, the father of Kay (Arthur's best friend). #FolkloreThursday

My mind was blown to discover that Space Ghost (along with various other classic animated characters) was originally voiced by Gary Owens, who I mainly knew from the goofy dinosaur edutainment documentaries he did with Eric Boardman.

According to folklore, Alexander the Great flew through the sky on a seat tied to two griffins he had tamed. To entice them to keep flying higher, he placed meat on two skewers which he held above their heads. Some say Alexander also rode a unicorn into battle. #FolkloreSunday

"In this pause, I suddenly saw something very clearly. Whatever it was I wanted from my mother was simply not there to be had. It was not her fault. And it was therefore not my fault that I was unable to elicit it." - Alison Bechdel, "Are You My Mother?" #BookWormSat #PrideMonth

Red Dragon is the Welsh member of SHE. But recently Marvel came out with a UK superhero team called the Britannia Project, who have really goofy names: Britannia (all of Britain), Union Jack (England), Choir (Wales), Kelpie (Scotland), and Snakes (Northern Ireland).

Apparently, the Scottish hero is called "Claymore," but he fights with a flail. Now I'm annoyed.

I think it's a real shame that DC never took advantage of the fact that since the Olympian has the powers of all of Jason's Argonauts, and since Orpheus was an Argonaut, the Olympian has the superpower to make music so beautiful that trees and stones would cry.

The McPherson Playhouse theatre in Victoria, BC, Canada has received visits from the "Grey Lady" over the last 75 years. This ghost wears a long, blue-grey dress and wanders the theatre's balcony; sometimes she floats above the actors. No one knows her true identity. #PhantomsFriday

Hey! Starting on July 9, I will be teaching an online creative writing class on how to develop compelling story characters. How do you give each character a unique voice? How do you give them goals that enrich your plot? Let’s get to know these people better! alexandrawriters.org/store/p1093/...

In Greek mythology, the Graeae or "Grey Sisters" were a trio of minor goddesses born with grey hair who collectively owned a single eye and and a single tooth. If one of the Graeae wished to see, she borrowed the eye, and if she wished to eat, she borrowed the tooth. 🎨Lindsey Look #FairyTaleTuesday

In a British myth, 32 sister princesses are exiled to an uninhabited island after murdering their spouses. The island is named "Albion" in honour of one of the sisters (Albina). The sisters mother a race of giants who are later conquered by humans (who rename the island "Britain"). #FairyTaleTuesday

I like how the first He-Man and Skeletor variants were relatively normal - the Battle Armor figures (what if He-Man and Skeletor had breastplates that could display battle damage?). But the later ones go totally nuts.