Category Archives: Folk traditions

Folklore and Psychology

Posted on May 16, 2017 by Clare Dunkle

My memoir, Hope and Other Luxuries, tells about my attempts to cope with my daughter Elena’s anorexia nervosa. But it also tells the story of my creative life from the beginning of my writing career. I’ve decided to share those … Continue reading →

Posted in Anorexia nervosa, Books and reading, Folk traditions, Hope and Other Luxuries, Jungian archetypes, Writing craft | Leave a comment

Museumsdorf Bayerischer Wald, pt. III: Faith of Our Fathers

Posted on August 19, 2014 by Clare Dunkle

Bavaria has been overwhelmingly Roman Catholic for centuries. Even today, Bavaria contains the highest percentage of Catholics of any state in Germany, as the following map from the German Bishops’ Conference (Deutsche Bischofskonferenz) shows. This faith helped define the identities … Continue reading →

Posted in Churches and religion, Europe, Folk traditions, German art, German history, German house decoration, Public art, Tourist destinations, Village life | 1 Comment

Museumsdorf Bayerischer Wald, pt II: Life before Plastic

Posted on August 13, 2014 by Clare Dunkle

The word plastic means, more or less, “pliable” or “moldable.” Plastics are so pervasive in our lives that it’s hard to remember how recent they are. The first modern plastic was only invented in the 1850’s, and it wasn’t until … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, Folk traditions, German history, German house decoration, Recreation, Tourist destinations, Village life | 2 Comments

Museumsdorf Bayerischer Wald: History in the Open Air

Posted on June 29, 2014 by Clare Dunkle

This wonderful open-air museum lies in the village of Tittling, twenty minutes north of Passau, in southeastern Germany. The large, grassy park contains a hundred and fifty buildings that, according to the website, date from 1580 to 1850–a nice bit … Continue reading →

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If you’ve read the children’s classic, Heidi (and if you haven’t, then you should immediately do so), then you’ve already learned about die Alm. It’s such a unique term that it isn’t usually translated. Die Alm is any high mountain … Continue reading →

Posted on June 27, 2014 by Clare Dunkle | Comments Off

The Spirit of Bavaria

Posted on June 27, 2014 by Clare Dunkle

If you take the walk suggested in yesterday’s post from the Königssee to the Obersee in Berchtesgaden National Park, you will soon come across a rugged wooden sign. For those who don’t read German, here is a translation. “At the … Continue reading →

Posted in Folk traditions, Food and drink, German language, Recreation, Rural scenery, Tourist destinations | 2 Comments

Many cultures consider the calico cat to be a sign of good fortune. The cheerful pattern of orange, white, and black patches is a genetic anomaly that normally occurs only in female cats, and just the right combination of factors … Continue reading →

Posted on April 15, 2013 by Clare Dunkle | Comments Off

When I was a little girl, I was told to watch for the first robin of spring, a big, sturdy bird that liked to eat earthworms. But the fact is that the REAL robin doesn’t come to America at all, … Continue reading →

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Clare Dunkle | 2 Comments

Black Forest Pantheon

Posted on April 5, 2013 by Clare Dunkle

In February, Joe and I visited the small, elegant town of St. Blasien, in Germany’s Schwarzwald, or Black Forest—an appropriate visit to make since February 3rd is St. Blaise’s feast day. There we encountered an unusually magnificent gem of a … Continue reading →

Posted in Churches and religion, Folk traditions, German art, German history | 2 Comments

Happy New Year!

Posted on January 10, 2012 by Clare Dunkle

What a peaceful nighttime scene! Just a quiet street in Rodenbach, Germany. But that was before the madness. I’m from the western United States, a land of droughts, dead vegetation, and fast-moving wildfires. More than 21,000 wildfires burned across my … Continue reading →

Posted in Festivals, Folk traditions, Holidays, Weather | Comments Off