People have gazed up at the same stars for millennia, trading stories about them; conjuring gods and goddesses; mapping the constellations; and navigating the complex human world below. The tales, traditions and myths included here traverse countries and continents and have been chosen to highlight how humans are linked through time and place, with shared dreams, fears and ways of rationalising the unknown.
Under ‘Stars and Heavens’ Willow delves into rosy fingered dawn and the hubris of Icarus, the Greek myths surrounding the constellations and the omen of meteors, the trials of the Hawaiian goddess Hina and the legend of the rabbit in the moon. In the section on ‘Skies’ we are introduced to winged Pegasus and the trials of the Firebird, the Witch of Westray and stories of storms, the mysteries of the Northern Lights and unexplained UFOs.
Willow Winsham is a historian of witchcraft, specialising in English witchcraft cases. She is co-author of the popular Treasury of British Folklore and Treasury of Folklore of the Seas and Treasury of the Woods and Forests. She is author of Accused: British Witches Throughout History and England’s Witchcraft Trials. She is co-founder of #FolkloreThursday, a popular website and Twitter account that brings fascinating tales and traditions from all corners of the globe to its followers every Thursday.
