My 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
Americana 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.
New 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. 
A New York Minute In History is offering the first episode of a special series on folklore.
From 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. 
Performer and teaching artist Dave Ruch will be 
The Schenectady County Historical Society is set to open a new exhibition, Handcrafted: The Folk and Their Art, on February 1st.
The 2020 Lecture Series at the Old Stone Fort Museum is set to kick off on Saturday, January 18 at 2 pm when local 
The 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.