folk custom Archives - Bone and Sickle

Benandanti versus Witches

October 19, 2026 boneandsickle Banandanti, EPISODE, folklore

In this episode we return to the topic of the Benandanti, or “good walkers,” those mysterious spirit-travelers of northeastern[…]

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Born with a Veil

August 15, 2026 boneandsickle anomalies, Benandanti, birthing, cauls, curiosities, EPISODE, folk customs, folk magic, folklore, Friuli, history, legends, medicine, superstition, witch trials, witchcraft, witches

To be “born with a veil” (or caul) was once regarded as far more than an unusual circumstance of birth.[…]

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Christmas is Carnival: Carols and Calendars

December 18, 2025 boneandsickle A Season of Madness, calendar, Carnival, Carol of the Bells, carols, Catholicism, Christmas, EPISODE, folk customs, history, holidays, Kalends, Krampus, Perchten, Slavs, Twelfth Night, Twelve Days of Christmas

Historically, the celebration of Christmas and Carnival could overlap, and there is some reason to believe that customs associated with[…]

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