The Enchanted Castle

Previously pirates sought chests of gold, silver & jewels (such as emeralds & pearls). Pirates are known to fly the ‘Jolly Roger’ flag with its gruesome skull & crossbones.

In the past, fairies were thought to be suspicious creatures – mischievous at the best of times & evil at the worst. Fairies today are often depicted with insect wings. Previously fairies were not depicted with wings. They flew on the backs of birds or by magic.

Some mermaids are benevolent, but traditionally most were dangerous. They would sing to sailors to enchant them, distracting them from their work. This would cause the sailors to either fall overboard or cause shipwrecks.

If you want to upset a troll, be happy. They detest happiness & things that make people happy.

They love to eat big hoofed mammals (deer, moose, elk, caribou, bison & mountain goat) and medium sized mammals (beaver, snowshoe hare & raccoons). Wolves also like to eat birds & rodents.

For example when a prince gained more land to rule, a prince had to live in that newly gained territory. In this way the Prince could observe their language, laws, and customs so he could understand & therefore rule his people better.

Typically she may have acted as a midwife & been the local medicine woman for her village (producing aphrodisiacs & hallucinogens). Today witches are seen as very spiritual people who are often in touch with nature & the world around them.

This jokey type of delivery allowed court jesters to be freer with their opinions – often commenting upon the latest social happenings. They had to be careful about overstepping their boundaries. A court jester who went too far could be punished.

Today in America there is a black market for the bones of black cats, which are believed to hold magical powers. In Britain & Ireland black cats retained their status as good luck. In Scotland, a strange black cat on your porch is a sign of upcoming prosperity!

For example alchemy contained many elements that would be considered magical today – but many others have been incorporated into the science of chemistry.

Many cultures have myths associated with a dragon, or dragon-like beasts. In all cases, dragons represent power. They can also be associated with good fortune, wisdom, or with bad luck & elemental evil.

Or she may be the wife of a king – which is called a queen consort. In a country whose system of government is a monarchy, the head of state is decided by inheritance. When a ruler dies their child, or nearest relative, takes over.

He has a beard & wears a pointed, colourful hat. Gnomes live in natural areas close to the Earth & care for wildlife. They are seen as kind, benevolent folkloric creatures.

Perhaps this is because the skin of a toad is drier & has a warty appearance. Whereas the skin of a frog, is moister and smooth. Did you know toads also have the ability to breathe through their skins?

Did you know for hundreds of years the title “princess” was not regularly used? A monarch’s daughter was simply called “Lady”. As women have slowly gained more autonomy, the title of princess is now seen as the female counterpart of prince. In some cases, a princess is the female hereditary head of state of a province in her own right.

This is different from the modern popular image of the unicorn which is just of a horse with a horn on its forehead. The earliest references refer to the unicorn as fierce yet good & selfless yet solitary. Their single horn was said to neutralize poison.

Neither are they defined by their level of toxicity: anything classed as either may be nontoxic, mildly toxic, hallucinogenic or extremely poisonous. The toadstool is nowadays used in storytelling when referring to poisonous or suspicious mushrooms.

Many cultures have myths associated with a dragon, or dragon-like beasts. In all cases, dragons represent power. They can also be associated with good fortune, wisdom, or with bad luck & elemental evil.

Many believe ghosts are souls of dead people who haven’t made the transition from this world to the next. Some believe ghosts who those who have died tragically.