Haunted Folklore (part four): Phantom Fatale

Kristina Wojtaszek’s series on Haunted Folklore on Enchanted Conversation: a fairy tale magazine continues today with installment four, “Phantom Fatale,” focused on the specters of women in fairy tales.

Mysterious, seductive, suppressed and sometimes vengeful, the presence of women abound in legend. Often portrayed as specters untamed by man or death, the hidden powers of the feminine spirit, and the ways of Mother Earth herself, are often explored in folklore. Perhaps the most powerful expression of femininity is that of motherly love, so it’s no surprise that this nurturing continues beyond the grave in tales of old.  Read more…

The Ghost’s Petition by Emma Florence Harrison

Read part one, “Evolution of an Apparition,” part two, “Spectral Celebrations,” part three, “The Ghosts of Classic Fairy Tales,” and look for part five, “Animals, Objects and Other Oddities,” to appear on the last week in October.

Find links to these and other great articles on ghosts, hauntings, Halloween, and more as part of our Haunted October celebration of the anthology Specter Spectacular: 13 Ghostly Tales and The Haunted Housewives of Allister, Alabama.

Find Kristina Wojtaszek’s short story, “Cinder,” in Specter Spectacular.

Kristina Wojtaszek grew up as a woodland sprite and mermaid, playing around the shores of Lake Michigan. At any given time she could be found with live snakes tangled in her hair and worn out shoes filled with sand. She currently resides in the high desert country of Wyoming with her husband and two small children. She is fascinated by fairy tales and fantasy and her favorite haunts are libraries and cemeteries.