Tag Archives: folklore

Sounds of Sunday: Mississippi Hoo Doo Man

Posted on August 10, 2014 by 1minionsopinion

I wound up looking up what exactly Hoo Doo is. That turned out to be a huge question answered very effectively by catherine yronwode and her piece entitled HOODOO, CONJURE, and ROOTWORK: AFRICAN AMERICAN FOLK MAGIC. She hits all the … Continue reading →

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Last night the Saskatoon Skeptics told ghost stories

Posted on October 27, 2011 by 1minionsopinion

It was a small turnout compared to some nights but the six of us had a merry spooky time telling tales anyway. Sucks to be one that missed the fun… David brought along a printout of a story Pliny the … Continue reading →

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Why not picket the New Jersey Devils then?

Posted on October 25, 2011 by 1minionsopinion

According to folklore acquired via Wikipedia: Most accounts of the Jersey Devil legend attribute the creature to a “Mother Leeds”, a supposed witch, although the tale has many variations. According to one version, she invoked the devil by saying “let … Continue reading →

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What is it like to see demons everywhere?

Posted on March 6, 2010 by 1minionsopinion

A book was recently published about a professional exorcist. Fr. Gabriele Amorth works in Rome and claims awareness of satanic sects working in the Vatican. The book, “Father Amorth. Memoirs of an Exorcist. My life fighting against Satan.” was written … Continue reading →

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Jack of the lantern, an exploration

Posted on October 27, 2009 by 1minionsopinion

Since Halloween is approaching, it’s probably worthwhile to look at reasons we follow bizarre traditions when celebrating it. What’s the purpose of a Jack O’Lantern besides lighting the steps so little kids don’t fall? According to That’s Right Nate, it’s … Continue reading →

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Archives of history and ministry

Posted on January 4, 2009 by 1minionsopinion

The Library of Congress, like all good library set-ups, wants to preserve as much history as it can and they have a place called the American Folklife Center where they store it all, from film to photos to letters, to … Continue reading →

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What do Jolly Old St. Nicholas and Santa have in common?

Posted on December 15, 2008 by 1minionsopinion

This is week three of my look at Christmas carols and what would Christmas be without Santa? So, how did Santa come to be? How many different versions of Santa belief are there? It all started with Saint Nick. Jolly … Continue reading →

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Who was this good king Wenceslas?

Posted on December 8, 2008 by 1minionsopinion

And why does he get his very own carol? This is the second installment in my search for the origins of some of the more popular carols, so I should quote it: Good King Wenceslas looked out on the Feast … Continue reading →

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Counterknowledge over and under the counter

Posted on November 12, 2008 by 1minionsopinion

Last time I introduced Counterknowledge by Damian Thompson and the definition of the title of the book. Basically, counterknowledge is the network of fake news and facts that people wind up convinced are true. This time around, I’m hitting some … Continue reading →

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Let it snow, let it snow (but not lots and not for long)

Posted on November 9, 2008 by 1minionsopinion

Did you know it takes 10 cm of snow to equal 10 mm of rainfall? Just thought I’d throw out a factoid before getting down to the actual post — We held him off as long as we possibly could, … Continue reading →

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