M Y T H O L O G Y :  Irish mythology → Púca

The Pesta [Norwegian folklore]

Norwegian folktales speak of an old woman whose skin was the colour of ash. Her name was Pesta (the Norwegian word for plague) and she was dressed in a bright red dress. 

She represented the black plague, which ravaged Norway in the 14th century. Pesta travelled from settlement to settlement, and when she arrived in a village or town she was either carrying a broom or a rake. If she brought a rake on her visit, that meant your village would survive the incoming plague – that is, there would be some survivors. If she carried a broom however, that meant every last individual would die. Given that almost 60% of the population died from the pandemic (according to some estimates), it’s not hard to imagine how people came up with such a terrifying creature. The first image here is a 1896 painting by Theodor Kittelsen and depicts Pesta on a staircase, delivering her grim message to whoever was waiting at the top of these stairs.

Another tale, which is depicted in the second image (a 1900 painting, also by Theodor Kittelsen), has Pesta travelling in a boat. Instead of a usual red dress, she wore a blue outfit to prevent people from recognizing her (aside from being a personification of the plague, she was also apparently quite adept at making disguises). Unfortunately, the boatman realized who she was anyway and begged her to spare him. Pesta browsed though the thick book she was carrying (who knows where it came from or what its contents might be) and declared that she couldn’t save the poor man, but as a kindness to repay his services, she would make his demise a quick and painless one. That evening, when the boatman came home, he quickly went to bed and fell into a deep sleep. One from which he would never wake up. Thus, Pesta showed him kindness.  

When you enjoy reading folklore and mythology from around the world, you occasionally see familiar creatures in modern fiction. In this case, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the Pesta is a ghostly monster in the Witcher series. Though as opposed to its mythological counterpart, the Pesta in the Witcher is a kind of ghost instead of a singular individual.

Source: talknorway.no/folk-tales-pesta-and-the-black-death-norway/

Cryptid of the Day: Tailypo

my emotional support rosemary thyme garlic loaf

recipe

3 1/2 cups bread flour

2tsp quick rise yeast

2tsp salt

1 1/2 cups cool water

2tbsp dried thyme

1tbsp garlic powder

2tsp dried rosemary

instructions

1. whisk together all dry ingredients in a large bowl then switch to a spoon as you slowly pour in the water, mixing as you go. keep working the dough and switch to hands as necessary. add extra flour or water as needed in small increments (depending on your environment) and turn out onto a floured surface to gently knead until you reach a dough that is soft and slightly sticky, it should feel a bit 'loose' but stable and shouldn't stick to your hands. this dough doesnt require intense kneading, just a couple mins until it feels incorporated.

2. shape into a ball and drop back into the mixing bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a dishtowel at room temp to rise for 2-3 hours (precise temp isn't necessary). after 2-3 hours the dough should be roughly 2x the original size, stick to the sides of the bowl and have little air bubbles all over.

3. (optional) move dough to the fridge to rest overnight or for roughly 12~ hours. you can actually bake it after the 2-3 hours is up but it tastes best when left to rise for longer. longer rise = better flavour.

4. turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead for a min or two, just folding it on itself until it feels cohesive before shaping it into a ball again. plop it on a sheet of high temp oven-safe parchment paper and cut a large X slash in the centre with a sharp knife or scissors. cover gently with plastic wrap or dishtowel and let sit for 30 mins.

5. get out your dutch oven and place it in the oven with the lid on, and preheat oven to 475°F. the dutch oven will heat with the oven, we want it very hot when the dough gets placed in. once the oven is ready/done preheating, remove the dutch oven and place the loaf inside with the parchment paper included, close the lid and put it back in the oven.

Someone: Are you SURE? Older adoptees present UNIQUE CHALLENGES

I’m real over it. If I become a foster mom to a 17 year old kid and I get the privilege of the option to adopt them? You better believe I am legally making that kid mine.

“They’ll be a legal adult in no time, why spend the money to adopt? They’ll be aged out of the system.”

There’s no aging out of family, Marvin.

“They might be rebellious or smoke or do drugs or steal things! What if they won’t listen to you?”

Then I guess I’ll have to step up and do some fruxking parenting, Stanley.

“You want to adopt problem children then?”

𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚋𝚎𝚜𝚝 𝚋𝚞𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚗𝚞𝚝 𝚜𝚚𝚞𝚊𝚜𝚑 𝚜𝚘𝚞𝚙 𝙸’𝚟𝚎 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚖𝚊𝚍𝚎🍂

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 1 sweet medium-large sweet onion, diced

• 1 large butternut squash, peeled and chopped

• 3 medium sized carrots, chopped

• 4 cups vegetable broth

• 2 cups apple cider

• 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

• 1 heaping tsp curry powder

• 1/4 tsp cinnamon

• a couple punches of nutmeg

• around half a 14oz can of pumpkin purée

• 2 Tbsp salted butter

• cup of half and half

• 1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella & provolone cheese OR white cheddar

• salt and pepper to taste (I use quite a lot of both)

Instructions

1. In a large pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onions and sauté until translucent but not brown.

2. Add squash, carrots, broth, apple cider, apple cider vinegar, and spices.

*Note: do not mix up apple cider and apple cider vinegar amounts!!

3. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes until squash and carrots are soft. Remove from heat and add pumpkin purée, butter, and half-and-half. Blend with an immersion blender until smooth. Then return to low to medium heat for five minutes. 

4. Stir in the cheese then taste your soup and salt and pepper as desired. 

*For a thinner soup add more vegetable broth.

Enjoy!