King of Terrors

Memento Mori, Folklore, Horror & the Macabre.

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Danse Macabre porcelain figurines- Basel History Museum, Switzerland

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St. Fridolin with the body of Urso

According to legend, a man from Glarus named Urso gave the monk Fridolin a large piece of land.

When Urso died, his brother Landolf contested the gift. The saint brought Urso back to life so that he could testify in court. Landolf was so frightened that he even gave Fridolin his own land.

- Basel History Museum, Switzerland

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Panel painting with images of devils- Basel History Museum.

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Crossbones Graveyard is a historic, unconsecrated former paupers' burial ground in Southwark, South London, that serves as a powerful monument to the city's marginalized "Outcast Dead." Dating back to at least the 16th century, it is famously the final resting place for the "Winchester Geese"—a historical nickname for the medieval sex workers who operated in local brothels. This ironic title arose because Southwark fell outside the law of the City of London and was instead controlled by the Bishop of Winchester, who licensed, regulated, and heavily taxed the area's sex trade- London, UK

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Despite its appearance, the Jack in the Green festival is a relatively recent addition to the folk calendar of England. The tradition emerged in the late 18th century, with the earliest written reference appearing in 1775, evolving from London May Day celebrations involving milkmaids, chimney sweeps and other working trades. By the 19th century it had become strongly associated with chimney sweeps, who paraded elaborate leaf-covered “Jacks” through the streets during May festivities while collecting money during the quieter summer months.

The celebrations declined during the Victorian era and were further undermined following the 1875 Chimney Sweepers Act, with authorities increasingly condemning the festivals for their rowdy and disorderly behaviour — much like many other traditional folk customs of the period. By the early 20th century the tradition had almost entirely died out.

The custom was revived during the folk revival of the 1970s and 1980s, most famously in Hastings in 1983 by Mad Jack’s Morris (later Hastings RX Morris). Since then it has evolved into the more overtly folkloric and Green Man–infused celebration recognised today.

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The Bristol Jack in the Green — revived in 1992 by Pigsty Morris, inspired by the great Hastings revival of 1983 — walked once more through the city streets to herald the coming of summer- Bristol, UK

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Jack-in-the-Green is a traditional May Day folk custom found across parts of England, particularly in London and the South East. Historically associated with chimney sweeps and other working people, the Jack was a towering framework covered in fresh greenery and flowers, carried through the streets to welcome the coming of summer. Over time the figure became linked with older ideas of the “Green Man” — a spirit of renewal, wild nature, and seasonal rebirth.

The Deptford Jack-in-the-Green traces its modern revival to 1983, when Mo Johnson built a new Jack in the back garden of the Dog & Bell pub in Deptford. Inspired by a photograph of the original Fowler’s Troop Jack from around 1900, the revived Jack became the centrepiece of the newly reformed Fowler’s Troop, accompanied by musicians, morris dancers, and a strange procession of costumed folk figures.

Standing around eleven feet tall, the Deptford Jack has roamed the streets of South East London every May Day for decades, sometimes meeting other Jacks from the City of London and Hastings. In 2015 the original frame was replaced with a specially made metal structure funded through a legacy left by Fowler’s Troop musician Doug Adams. To this day the Jack is traditionally dressed with fresh foliage on April 30th at the Dog & Bell before emerging once more to herald the arrival of summer.- Deptford, London UK

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Memento Mori at St John's Co-Cathedral-Valetta, Malta.

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Skeletal memento mori on the floor of St Paul's Cathedral- Mdina, Malta

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Memento Mori- Rabat, Malta

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A series of memento mori found at the Wignacourt Museum- Rabat, Malta

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Discovered in 1835 by chance, The Shell Grotto in Margate has approximately 4.6 million shells arranged in numerous patterns both decorative and esoteric in nature. Its exact age, purpose and builder are still unknown.

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Trefignath Chambered Tomb is a Neolithic burial monument raised more than five thousand years ago on a low rise of the Anglesey landscape. Its tall, weathered slabs are the remains of a once-covered stone chamber where the dead of an early farming community were laid to rest beneath a cairn of earth and rock.

A short distance away stands the solitary monolith of Ty Mawr Standing Stone, a single upright stone watching over the tomb and the surrounding fields.

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Ben Edge's Children of Albion exhibition at Fitzrovia chapel 6-26th November- London, UK

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Haunting Floral figures and arrangements on display for Halloween 2025 at Horace Walpole's Strawberry Hill House- Twickenham, UK

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Photos of the Dark Secrets: Esoteric Exhibition- Waterloo Vaults, London UK

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https://woodwosebooks.etsy.com

Shortlisted for the V.S Pritchett short story award in 2024, Twéo-mann is a dark folklore tale from London based writer Michael Byrne, beautifully illustrated throughout by Romanian artist Rada Niță.

It is available via the link above.