Welcome to a space where narratives smolder quietly in the embers, and folklore weaves itself through the branches of the northern woods.
I’m Clara MacGauffin, and this newsletter serves as a kind of fireside gathering—for readers, writers, and scholars drawn to the eerie grace of (mostly) Scandinavian folklore, pre-modern myth, and the subtleties of atmospheric horror. Whether your interest is academic, creative, or born of an instinctive sense that something ancient still stirs in the wind, you are most welcome here.
What you’ll find here:
Lore Bites
Short, focused essays that unpack a single myth, creature, or tradition from Nordic or neighboring folklore—like why the skogsrå has a hollow back, what happens if you forget the porridge on Jul night, or how a soul might linger as a draugr.
Original Fiction
I share stories and serial fiction (not regularly updated) inspired by the lore I study—sword & sorcery set in mythic Northlands, eerie fireside tales, and strange love stories with footnotes in the Eddas.
Longer works are all work in progress, I love comments and feedback.
Runeblade & Ravenfire- Plague of the Unwarden, sword & sorcery based on Nordic folklore
Werewolfs in Scandinavia, mixing lore and discussion
Weekly rhythm
Each Week, you’ll get one beautiful, usable, atmospheric issue—half fact, half fiction, always grounded in source material and the weird, quiet magic of Northern Europe.
This is a living tradition.
The forest isn’t silent—it’s just listening.
Come along. Bring tea. And maybe a candle.
