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Folklore

The Science of Fairy Rings, Free and Tethered

October 25, 2021 by Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

fairy ring courtesy Wikimedia user Mrs skippyMy German mother was a highly superstitious soul, especially when it came to the natural world. Case in point, one day a “fairy ring” of mushrooms appeared in our yard. My mother became agitated and told me not to disturb the ring, for it was a “hexenringe” – a place, she believed, where witches gathered and dire consequences would befall anyone entering or tampering with it.

Fairy rings have a rich history in European folklore and myth. Austrians claimed the rings were created where dragons rested, while the Dutch saw them as a place where the devil churned his milk. [Read more…] about The Science of Fairy Rings, Free and Tethered

Filed Under: Nature Tagged With: Folklore, fungi, nature, Science, Wildlife

New Publication Focuses on American Folk Art and Americana

January 13, 2021 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Americana InsightsAmericana Insights, a new nonprofit e-journal and multi-faceted resource center, has been launched by Jane Katcher, Americana and American folk art collector, in collaboration with David A. Schorsch, an authority on American antiques and folk art.

The digital publication is supported by an advisory board of museum and art-world professionals and edited by independent scholar, author, and curator Robert Shaw. [Read more…] about New Publication Focuses on American Folk Art and Americana

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, Arts, Capital-Saratoga, History, Hudson Valley - Catskills, Mohawk Valley, New York City, Western NY Tagged With: Academia, art, Folk Art, Folklore, Material Culture, Recent Publications

The Inspiration Behind Ichabod Crane And The Headless Horseman (Podacst)

August 21, 2020 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

a new york minute in history podcastIn the third episode of the podcast series Legends and Lore of the Empire State, A New York Minute In History explores the inspirations behind Washington Irving’s Headless Horseman and Ichabod Crane from The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1820). [Read more…] about The Inspiration Behind Ichabod Crane And The Headless Horseman (Podacst)

Filed Under: History, Hudson Valley - Catskills, New York City Tagged With: Folklore, Literature, Podcasts, Westchester County

NY Folklore Shop Reopens to the Public

July 10, 2020 by Editorial Staff 1 Comment

New York Folklore shopNew York Folklore, the storefront of the New York Folklore Society in Schenectady, has reopened to the public. Face mask, social distancing, and occupancy guidelines are in effect. [Read more…] about NY Folklore Shop Reopens to the Public

Filed Under: Arts, Capital-Saratoga, History, Mohawk Valley Tagged With: Folklore, New York Folklore Society, Schenectady

Champy: A Legendary Lake Monster As History

May 1, 2020 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

a new york minute in history podcastA New York Minute In History is offering the first episode of a special series on folklore.

In this initial journey of the “Legends and Lore of The Empire State” series, co-hosts Devin Lander and Lauren Roberts explore the legend behind a storied lake monster in Northern New York. [Read more…] about Champy: A Legendary Lake Monster As History

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, History Tagged With: Folklore, Lake Champlain, Plattsburgh, Podcasts, sturgeon

Adirondack Music and Stories on Tuesday

April 12, 2020 by Editorial Staff 2 Comments

Dave Ruch Live From The HouseFrom the earliest days of human occupation of the Adirondacks music has sustained the people of the North Country, and we’re fortunate that so much of it has been handed down for our enjoyment today. [Read more…] about Adirondack Music and Stories on Tuesday

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, Arts, History Tagged With: Adirondacks, Folklore, Music, Performing Arts

Weekly NYS Historical, Traditional Music Live Online

March 27, 2020 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Dick Law at homePerformer and teaching artist Dave Ruch will be live on Facebook each week for a 30-minute live program of songs, stories, history and humor.

Ruch’s “Live From The House” series explores some of the music that our ancestors sang and played (and passed down through the generations) for their own entertainment before the age of record players and radios. [Read more…] about Weekly NYS Historical, Traditional Music Live Online

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, Arts, Capital-Saratoga, Events, History, Hudson Valley - Catskills, Mohawk Valley, New York City, Western NY Tagged With: Folklore, Music, Performing Arts

Handcrafted: The Folk and Their Art in Schenectady

January 30, 2020 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Handcrafted: The Folk and Their ArtThe Schenectady County Historical Society is set to open a new exhibition, Handcrafted: The Folk and Their Art, on February 1st.

Handcrafted: The Folk and Their Art explores folk art’s reflection of human needs, values, concerns, and desires. Handcrafted is co-curated by Susanna Fout and Schenectady County Community College folk art professor Marilyn Sassi and will feature over fifty carefully selected pieces, most of which have never been displayed publicly. [Read more…] about Handcrafted: The Folk and Their Art in Schenectady

Filed Under: Capital-Saratoga, History, New Exhibits Tagged With: Folk Art, Folklore, Mohawk Valley, Schenectady, Schenectady County Historical Society

Folk Art Kicks Off Old Stone Fort Lecture Series

January 12, 2020 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

painting of Schoharies Old Stone Fort Museum Complex by local folk artist John WilkinsonThe 2020 Lecture Series at the Old Stone Fort Museum is set to kick off on Saturday, January 18 at 2 pm when local folk artist John Wilkinson presents an artist’s talk, exhibition and sale in the Badgley Museum Annex. [Read more…] about Folk Art Kicks Off Old Stone Fort Lecture Series

Filed Under: Events, History, Mohawk Valley, Western NY Tagged With: Folk Art, Folklore, Old Stone Fort, Schoharie Co Hist Soc, Schoharie County

Haudenosaunee Folklore & Indigenous Tales in Utica

October 31, 2019 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Legend of the Three Sisters provided by Oneida Indian NationThe Iroquois or Haudenosaunee are a historically powerful northeast Native American confederacy in North America. Storytelling is an important component of Haudenosaunee culture. Oral traditions and legends have been passed from generation to generation, teaching communities how to live, act, and care for one another, as well as how to manage during the unpredictable seasons. [Read more…] about Haudenosaunee Folklore & Indigenous Tales in Utica

Filed Under: Events, History Tagged With: Folklore, Indigenous History, Iroquois, Mohawk Valley, Native American History, Oneida County History Center, Utica

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