a less whimsical illustration that encapsulates the fun of searching an archive of over 15

The Archive...

Have a wander through the Fireside folktale archive below, and see what you stumble into. Use the filters to narrow the world down, or fling the doors wide and browse by country, region, theme, collector, or whatever takes your fancy, then let the table do the rest. A few clicks can carry you from storm-tossed coasts to mountain villages, from clever tricksters to quiet miracles, and you will often find that the story you meant to read is not the one that chooses you.

Archive under construction...

Structured Filters

Use these drop down lists to choose one or more filters to select groups of tales to investigate in more detail

Other than my own versions of tales (as indicated), the stories in this archive are in the public domain

Stories in this view:

3988

Title	Book	Author / Collector	Country	Subject	Year
Of Treasures	Latvian Fairy Tales	Victor von Andrejanoff	Latvia	Of Treasures: hidden wealth, greed, luck, secrecy, fate, temptation, loss	1909
The Giants And The Lake	Latvian Fairy Tales	Victor von Andrejanoff	Latvia	The Giants And The Lake: giants, creation legend, landscape, strength, conflict, place-memory, nature	1909
Dog Mouths	Latvian Fairy Tales	Victor von Andrejanoff	Latvia	Dog Mouths: transformation, curse, speech, animal motif, strangeness, punishment, wonder	1909
The Golden Arrow	Latvian Fairy Tales	Victor von Andrejanoff	Latvia	The Golden Arrow: quest, magic object, fate, kingship, trial, bravery, reward	1909
How The Waterfall At Goldingen Started	Latvian Fairy Tales	Victor von Andrejanoff	Latvia	How The Waterfall At Goldingen Started: origin legend, landscape, divine punishment, transformation, local memory, nature, wonder	1909
Stepbrother	Latvian Fairy Tales	Victor von Andrejanoff	Latvia	Stepbrother: kinship, jealousy, rivalry, injustice, loyalty, endurance, reconciliation	1909
The Story Of Kurbad	Latvian Fairy Tales	Victor von Andrejanoff	Latvia	The Story Of Kurbad: heroic quest, monstrous foes, strength, bravery, underworld, destiny, kingship	1909
Naughty Liisa	Latvian Fairy Tales	Victor von Andrejanoff	Latvia	Naughty Liisa: mischief, disobedience, consequences, childish cunning, humour, family, correction	1909
What The Witches Said On Midsummer Night	Latvian Fairy Tales	Victor von Andrejanoff	Latvia	What The Witches Said On Midsummer Night: witchcraft, prophecy, Midsummer, folklore, fate, magic, night	1909
Fables Of Money And Grain Sheaves	Latvian Fairy Tales	Victor von Andrejanoff	Latvia	Fables Of Money And Grain Sheaves: wealth, labour, harvest, greed, fairness, livelihood, moral lesson	1909
The Wolves	Latvian Fairy Tales	Victor von Andrejanoff	Latvia	The Wolves: wild nature, fear, survival, cunning, predation, winter, endurance	1909
The Fenians	Legendary Heroes of Ireland	Harold F Hughes	Ireland	The Fenians: warrior brotherhood, loyalty, adventure, hunting, honour, feasting, service, courage, leadership, Irish heroism	1922
The Birth Of Finn	Legendary Heroes of Ireland	Harold F Hughes	Ireland	The Birth Of Finn: prophecy, hidden child, threatened lineage, protection, destiny, noble blood, early danger, survival, inheritance, future greatness	1922
Boyhood Of Finn	Legendary Heroes of Ireland	Harold F Hughes	Ireland	Boyhood Of Finn: youth, training, prophecy, hidden identity, survival, mentorship, early heroism, destiny, wisdom, initiation	1922
Finn Claims His Inheritance	Legendary Heroes of Ireland	Harold F Hughes	Ireland	Finn Claims His Inheritance: rightful claim, identity, injustice, vengeance, courage, restoration, lineage, leadership, destiny, recognition	1922
Finn And The Scottish Giant	Legendary Heroes of Ireland	Harold F Hughes	Ireland	Finn And The Scottish Giant: giant combat, challenge, cunning, strength, border rivalry, bravery, wit, intimidation, honour, triumph	1922
The Story Of Saba	Legendary Heroes of Ireland	Harold F Hughes	Ireland	The Story Of Saba: transformation, enchantment, love, sorrow, separation, motherhood, loss, otherworldly forces, tenderness, fate	1922
Conan The Bald	Legendary Heroes of Ireland	Harold F Hughes	Ireland	Conan The Bald: warrior pride, rough humour, boasting, strength, loyalty, rivalry, bravado, Fenian fellowship, conflict, reputation	1922
Dermot Of The Love Spot	Legendary Heroes of Ireland	Harold F Hughes	Ireland	Dermot Of The Love Spot: beauty, enchantment, irresistible attraction, charisma, danger, desire, reputation, courtly tension, fate, heroism	1922
The Worthless Servant	Legendary Heroes of Ireland	Harold F Hughes	Ireland	The Worthless Servant: deception, hidden worth, testing, humble disguise, service, reversal, cleverness, recognition, justice, reward	1922
Dermot And Grainne	Legendary Heroes of Ireland	Harold F Hughes	Ireland	Dermot And Grainne: elopement, forbidden love, pursuit, loyalty tested, honour, jealousy, adventure, fate, desire, exile	1922
The Battle Of Ventry Strand	Legendary Heroes of Ireland	Harold F Hughes	Ireland	The Battle Of Ventry Strand: invasion, defence of Ireland, heroic warfare, endurance, comradeship, supernatural challenge, leadership, glory, sacrifice, national legend	1922
The Death Of Dermot	Legendary Heroes of Ireland	Harold F Hughes	Ireland	The Death Of Dermot: tragic heroism, betrayal, jealousy, mortality, lost love, grief, fate, broken loyalty, vengeance, sorrow	1922
The Battle Of Gowra	Legendary Heroes of Ireland	Harold F Hughes	Ireland	The Battle Of Gowra: civil strife, loyalty divided, tragic warfare, heroic last stand, vengeance, honour, loss, downfall, kinship conflict, fate	1922
The Story of Bernaldo de Carpio	Legends & Romances of Spain	Lewis Spence	Spain	The Story of Bernaldo de Carpio: heroic lineage, loyalty, war, honour, national legend	1920
The Goblin Of The Tower Della Trinita, Or The Porta San	Legends of Florence	Charles Godfrey Leland	Italy	The Goblin Of The Tower Della Trinita, Or The Porta San: tower spirit, melancholy goblin, city gate, haunting, loneliness, supernatural companion, Florence walls, wistful folklore	1895
Legends Of The Piazza San Biagio	Legends of Florence	Charles Godfrey Leland	Italy	Legends Of The Piazza San Biagio: disguise, sorcery, mistaken identity, deception, local colour, comic trick, witches, piazza folklore	1895
Cain And His Worshippers	Legends of Florence	Charles Godfrey Leland	Italy	Cain And His Worshippers: mirror magic, love spells, Cain lore, witchcraft, folk religion, forbidden invocation, Abel and Cain, peasant superstition	1895
Legends Of San Lorenzo	Legends of Florence	Charles Godfrey Leland	Italy	Legends Of San Lorenzo: church folklore, debtor tale, clerical life, cats in cloister, comic miracle, charity, religious satire, neighbourhood legend	1895
Stories Of San Miniato	Legends of Florence	Charles Godfrey Leland	Italy	Stories Of San Miniato: hilltop shrine, saints, relics, miracles, sacred history, Florence skyline, devotion, place-legend	1895
The Witch Of The Arno	Legends of Florence	Charles Godfrey Leland	Italy	The Witch Of The Arno: river witch, Arno, enchantment, danger, feminine power, water magic, curse, Florence folklore	1895
The Fairy Of The Campanile, Or The Tower Of Giotto	Legends of Florence	Charles Godfrey Leland	Italy	The Fairy Of The Campanile, Or The Tower Of Giotto: protective fairy, artistic genius, enchantment, tower legend, beauty, inspiration, Florence landmark, supernatural patronage	1895
The Apparition Of Dante	Legends of Florence	Charles Godfrey Leland	Italy	The Apparition Of Dante: poet’s ghost, literary Florence, haunting, vision, civic pride, memory, afterlife, genius revered	1895
Legends Of La Certosa	Legends of Florence	Charles Godfrey Leland	Italy	Legends Of La Certosa: monastery lore, ghosts, sacred space, monks, penance, miracles, haunting, religious legend	1895
Il Palazzo Feroni	Legends of Florence	Charles Godfrey Leland	Italy	Il Palazzo Feroni: rich miser, fairy intervention, haunted house, fortune, moral ambiguity, pride, supernatural reward, urban legend	1895
Legends Of The Bridges In Florence	Legends of Florence	Charles Godfrey Leland	Italy	Legends Of The Bridges In Florence: river crossings, haunted bridges, civic history, ghosts, Arno, travellers, thresholds, city memory	1895
The Lanterns Of The Strozzi Palace	Legends of Florence	Charles Godfrey Leland	Italy	The Lanterns Of The Strozzi Palace: family rivalry, palace legend, pride, mockery, display, noble competition, urban wit, Florence architecture	1895
The Ghost Of Michel Angelo	Legends of Florence	Charles Godfrey Leland	Italy	The Ghost Of Michel Angelo: artist’s spirit, unfinished passion, haunting, Renaissance memory, Florence pride, restless dead, genius, melancholy	1895
The Bashful Lover	Legends of Florence	Charles Godfrey Leland	Italy	The Bashful Lover: shy courtship, mistaken chances, romance, hesitation, comic love, missed opportunity, urban life, sentiment	1895
Frate Giocondo, The Monk Of Santa Maria Novella	Legends of Florence	Charles Godfrey Leland	Italy	Frate Giocondo, The Monk Of Santa Maria Novella: roguish monk, trickery, appetite, comic folklore, clerical satire, peasant life, deception, street wisdom	1895
The Goblin Of La Via Del Corno	Legends of Florence	Charles Godfrey Leland	Italy	The Goblin Of La Via Del Corno: household goblin, street-name origin, companionship, prophecy, magical helper, horn symbol, urban folklore, domestic haunting	1895
The Unfortunate Priest	Legends of Florence	Charles Godfrey Leland	Italy	The Unfortunate Priest: skeleton street, melancholy legend, clerical misfortune, death imagery, haunted quarter, moral warning, sorrow, urban gloom	1895
The Story Of The Via Delle Serve Smarrite	Legends of Florence	Charles Godfrey Leland	Italy	The Story Of The Via Delle Serve Smarrite: lost servants, wizard, street-name origin, female solidarity, comic revenge, deception, urban folklore, humiliation	1895
La Via Delle Belle Donne	Legends of Florence	Charles Godfrey Leland	Italy	La Via Delle Belle Donne: beauty, romance, city lodgers, desire, reputation, women’s lives, urban folklore, social comedy	1895
The Two Fairies Of The Well	Legends of Florence	Charles Godfrey Leland	Italy	The Two Fairies Of The Well: well spirits, reflection, prophecy, feminine power, enchantment, water magic, doubles, self-knowledge	1895
The Legend Of The Croce Al Trebbio	Legends of Florence	Charles Godfrey Leland	Italy	The Legend Of The Croce Al Trebbio: crucifix legend, street violence, repentance, memorial column, sacred protection, civic memory, religious warning, Florence landmark	1895
The Bronze Boar Of The Mercato Nuovo	Legends of Florence	Charles Godfrey Leland	Italy	The Bronze Boar Of The Mercato Nuovo: fertility symbol, market landmark, animal magic, fountain, prosperity, public sculpture, folk belief, abundance	1895
The Wizard With Red Teeth	Legends of Florence	Charles Godfrey Leland	Italy	The Wizard With Red Teeth: sinister sorcerer, ballad lore, deathly courtship, dread, supernatural power, oral tradition, eerie romance, dark magic	1895
The Mysterious Fig-Tree	Legends of Florence	Charles Godfrey Leland	Italy	The Mysterious Fig-Tree: uncanny tree, amulet symbolism, hidden meaning, street legend, enchantment, desire, secrecy, transformation	1895
Furicchia, Or The Egg-Woman Of The Mercato Vecchio	Legends of Florence	Charles Godfrey Leland	Italy	Furicchia, Or The Egg-Woman Of The Mercato Vecchio: old market, egg-seller, gossip, folk magic, neighbourhood legend, cunning woman, everyday Florence, comic superstition	1895

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