Table of Contents

Folklore

Lady Midday

Lady Midday (noonwraith according to Slavic beliefs) is a malicious and murderous demon that hunted those who were carelessly present in the field at noon. They killed or maimed their victims, strangled harvesters sleeping in the field and kidnapped children playing at the edge of the field. 1)

Kobolds

The kobold is a character from German folklore, now often found in fantasy literature and role-playing games. Old German miners believed that kobolds surreptitiously exchanged silver for nickel, cobalt and tungsten, which were then considered useless. This is where the name cobalt comes from. 2)

Unveiling and capping ceremony

Polish weddings' unveiling and capping ceremony took place at midnight when the bride's braid was cut off and older married women put on a cap. A wedding cap, made of white linen and elaborately embroidered, was usually a gift from the godmother. Placed on the head, marked with the sign of the cross, it became an attribute of marriage. 3)

Paul Bunyan

Paul Bunyan, a legendary lumberjack, is a significant figure in American folklore. He is most often depicted as a giant, dressed in a checkered flannel shirt and clumsy boots, holding a double-bladed ax. He is also often depicted in the company of a blue ox named Babe. Since the end of the 19th century, Paul Bunyan has appeared in various literary, musical and theatrical works and in advertisements. 4)

Bakeneko

Bakeneko is a cat present in Japanese folklore with supernatural abilities, able to change its form. A domestic cat can become a bakeneko in many ways: It can reach a certain age, be bred for a certain number of years, grow to a certain size or be allowed to carry a long tail. A bakeneko will haunt any farmyard it is kept in, changing its shape to that of a human, even devouring its mistress to take her place. 5)