Rites Of Spring

From haunting tales of the Bell Witch to child-eating swamp monsters, the season is full of frights.

An Edinburgh University project uses data to track the victims of Scottish "witch-prickers" in the 16th and 17th centuries.

The Madan people knew the Missouri River could bring both salvation and destruction.

The kankariya dance all started with a legendary demon queen named Kuweni.

From bloodthirsty orchids to body-snatching pods, fictional flora are often symbols of societal fears.

"When the wind blows you run away because you think it’s a night runner.”

But make sure you bring the fossegrim the proper offering—or else.

A straw effigy of the winter goddess is burned and then submerged in chilly waters.

Step 1: Buy it. Step 2: Maybe a poetry reading?

Nahuelito’s plesiosaur visage can be found all over the small town of Bariloche.

The burning of the Bӧӧgg is like a fiery version of Groundhog’s Day, but with fireworks and sausages.

This historical sweet spread has supernatural ties.

A classic ghost story has something to say about America—200 years ago, 100 years ago, and today.

This May Day, make Beltane bannock, a simple snack with a long history of superstition and divination.

The sun is out and the monsters are here.

But its complex Aboriginal Australian origins have today been commodified and suppressed.

The ancient “Celtic” start of summer is rooted in animal husbandry—and it’s not on May 1.