Folklore Weaver

A very long time ago, in a village in Nagaland, there lived a very beautiful girl, the only child of her parents who were very rich. As was the custom among the Ao-Naga tribe, when a girl reached puberty, she went to the girls' dormitory to spend the nights. It was in these dormitories that young men would come after night fall to court young ladies and in this way many young people would choose their life partners. This young and beautiful girl was also courted by many eligible young men of the village. But her eyes were fixed on a particular young man who was very handsome. As time passed, their friendship grew more and more intimate and he visited her every night and left before dawn. But during the day he was nowhere to be seen and all her efforts to locate him in the village were in vain. So in desperation she confided in her parents who thought deeply over the matter. The young man in the meantime continued to visit the girl as usual. One dawn, as advised by her father, when ...

The Onryō is a powerful and terrifying type of yūrei (ghost) in Japanese folklore. Unlike spirits who might linger due to sadness or attachment, the Onryō is driven by intense rage, hatred, and a burning desire for revenge stemming from a deep, unresolved grievance suffered in life. Their malevolent intent can have devastating consequences for the living. In a prosperous town known for its exquisite silk weaving, lived a woman named Kiyo. She was renowned for her skill and the beauty of her creations, and she was deeply in love with a young nobleman, Lord Masaru, who often commissioned her finest work. Masaru, however, was fickle and ambitious. He courted Kiyo with passionate words and promises, but his true intention was to gain influence through a politically advantageous marriage with a woman of higher standing. When Kiyo learned of Masaru's impending wedding to another, her heart shattered. Betrayed and consumed by a furious grief, she confronted him. Masaru, cold and dismissiv...

On the rugged coast of Scotland, where the grey sea crashed against the cliffs and the wind carried whispers of ancient magic, lived a lonely fisherman named Alistair. One day, while walking the deserted shore, he found a sealskin hidden amongst the rocks. It was sleek and dark, and seemed to pulse with a life of its own. Knowing the old tales, Alistair hid the skin in a chest in his cottage. That night, a beautiful woman with eyes the color of the deep sea appeared at his door. She wept and told him she was a selkie, a creature who could transform between human and seal form, and that her skin had been stolen. Alistair, captivated by her beauty and her sorrow, confessed that he had found the skin and hidden it. He returned it to her, and the selkie woman, whose name was Morag, was overjoyed. She stayed with Alistair for a time, and they fell deeply in love. They married and had several children, who had their mother's sea-green eyes and a longing for the ocean in their hearts. Yea...

In a remote mountain village, where winter winds howled like hungry spirits and snow piled high against every door, lived two woodcutters: old Mosaku and his young apprentice, Minokichi. One bitter night, caught in a blizzard, they sought shelter in a deserted hut high in the pass. As they slept fitfully, a chilling gust blew open the door, and a figure entered. She was tall and slender, her skin as pale as the driven snow, her long black hair cascading around a face of ethereal beauty. Her eyes, however, held a strange, unsettling coldness. She drifted towards Mosaku and breathed upon him. Instantly, the old man’s breath froze, and his life ebbed away. Then, her gaze turned to Minokichi, who lay paralyzed with terror. She bent over him, her icy breath ghosting over his face. He expected to meet the same frigid end as his master. But then, a strange sorrow flickered in her cold eyes. “I ought to kill you,” she whispered, her voice like the sigh of winter wind. “But you are young. I wil...

Long ago, in a quiet village hemmed by thick forests and winding rivers, there lived a poor old woman who earned her living by collecting firewood. One day, as she cut branches in the forest, she stumbled upon a shimmering golden snake coiled beneath a banyan tree. Startled, she stepped back, but the snake raised its head and spoke in a gentle voice. “Do not be afraid, Mother,” it said. “Take me home, and your days of suffering shall end.” Confused but drawn by something unexplainable, the woman wrapped the snake carefully in a bundle and took it back to her hut. From that day on, strange fortunes began to fall upon her — coins in her rice jar, fresh milk in a dry pot, warmthin the coldest of nights. Villagers whispered of her sudden prosperity. One day, the snake said, “Mother, I wish to marry a human maiden. Find a girl who will take me as I am.” The woman, reluctant but grateful, set out to fulfill the snake’s wish. She was laughed at and turned away from many homes until she reache...

Once, in a quiet village tucked among the green paddy fields, a wild boar — the king of pigs — stormed into the fields and began tearing them apart. His tusks tore through the stalks, and the crops lay ruined in his wake. The villagers, enraged by the destruction, gathered together with sticks and bows and chased the beast. Among them was a young village boy with sharp eyes and steady hands. He loosed an arrow that struck the wild boar, wounding it. The boar, though bleeding, escaped into the hills. The boy, determined to finish what he had begun, followed the trail of blood into the mountains. At the end of the trail, he came upon a dark cave hidden among the rocks. Cautiously, he peered inside. To his surprise, he saw a divine figure seated in silence — it was the forest spirit “Who are you, boy?” asked the sppirit. “What brings you here? Are you the one who wounded the boar?” The boy trembled in fear. He dared not admit to chasing the wild creature. Thinking quickly, he bowed an...