The Routledge Companion to Folk Horror

"The Routledge Companion to Folk Horror offers a comprehensive guide to this popular genre. It explores its origins, canonical texts and thinkers, the crucial underlying themes of nostalgia and hauntology, as well as identifying new trends in the field. Divided into five parts, the first focuses on the history of Folk Horror from medieval texts to the present day. It considers the first wave of contemporary Folk Horror through the films of the 'unholy trinity', as well as discussing the influence of ancient Gods and early Folk Horror. Section two looks at the spaces, landscapes and cultural relics, which form a central focus for Folk Horror. In section three, the contributors examine the rich history of the use of folklore in children's fiction. The next section discusses recent examples of Folk Horror-infused music and image. Chapters consider the relationship between different genres of music to Folk Horror (such as Folk Music, black metal, and new wave); sound and performance; comic books; and the dark web.