Drakes: The Fairy Dragons of Europe

Salamander, early 16th C.

Also known as kratchens in Belgium and Holland, or krats in Scandinavia, or drachens in Germany, or feu draks in France and Switzerland, drakes are a Eurpean supernatural entity that mixes the characteristics of a dragon, and the fairy folk. When it comes to the depiction of drakes, they’re extremely heterogeneous  and vary according to the local folklore. In the gypsy folklore from the Balkan states of South Eastern Europe, they are described as enormous humans with the heads and feet of a dragon; it said that they live in fantastic places with their human wives and be can be seen riding a giant horses. This description, however, changes further up north, where the term drake became synonymous with the myth of the legendary salamanders, but most importantly, with the fire-drakes, a type of dragon in Norse, Teutonic, and Celtic mythology who are said to guard treasures, such as the creature that kills Beowulf  in the 8^th/11^th century English epic poem of the same name. Most recently, in an early 19^th century account, Sven Magnus Johansson was wondering around Lake Sodreg in Sweden, and stepped onto a log only to see it move and slither away into the lake. Even though the creature resembles the Swedish lindorm (linworm in Britain), a type of sea serpent or wingless bipedal dragon, the local people told him it was a drake. 

Exploring The Qoyllur Rit’i Festival of the Peruvian Andes

Qoyllur Rit’i procession

Originating in the 18^th century, Qoyllur Rit’i (Snow Star in Quechua) is an annual Peruvian festival that takes place on the Sinakara valley southeast of the Cusco region, near the Ocongate province at 4,800 meters above sea level. Being a melting pot of Catholicism and Andean beliefs, the festival attracts large numbers of Amerindian farmers, peasants and workers from different clans, mainly from the Paucartambo  Quechuas from the agricultural regions to the northwest of the Qoyllur Rit'I shrine, and Quispicanchis Aymaras from the pastoral regions to the southeast.

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The Fairy Faith: A Documentary depicting the belief in fairies

Released in 2001, and directed, and narrated by Canadian award winning filmmaker John Walker, “The Fairy  Faith” remains up to this day the most notable, if not the only, documentary depicting the belief in fairies. The film takes us on a journey through the old Scottish, English, and Irish country, with multiple interviews about fairy encounters, both from old folklore, and first person accounts, along with visits to alleged fairy sites. It also narrates how the fairy faith fits in these communities, along with the role it used to play. The film is an excellent introduction to fairy folklore, and an amazing piece of cultural heritage that is quickly disappearing in modern societies.