German literature Archives - Bone and Sickle

Rolling Hells and Land-Ships

May 22, 2025 boneandsickle Carnival, celebrations, EPISODE, Germany, history, holidays, Middle Ages, pagan, paganism, renaissance, Schembartlauf

During the 15th-century, citizens of Nuremberg, Germany, experienced spectacular Carnival parades highlighted by the appearance of floats known as “hells.”[…]

Sorcery Schools of Spain

January 26, 2024 boneandsickle black magic, Cave of Hercules, caves, Cyprian magic, demons, Devil, diabolism, EPISODE, folk magic, folklore, Greek gods, history, King Solomon, legends, literature, magic, magic schools, Mexico, Middle Ages, occultism, Portugal, prophecy, renaissance, saints, Salamanca, Satan, Spain, St. Cyprian, The Arabian Nights, Toledo, witches

For centuries, Spain was said to be the home of secret, underground sorcery schools, Toledo being the first city with[…]

Animal Ghosts

May 16, 2023 boneandsickle animals, cryptozoology, EPISODE, folk tales, folklore, ghost stories, ghosts, legends, local legends, monsters, superstition

Tales of animal ghosts are usually relegated to the periphery of ghost story collections, but in this episode, we showcase[…]