About Forgotten Path Folklore

Hello, I’m Blythe

I’m the illustrator and folklore-lover behind Forgotten Path Folklore- a little corner of the internet dedicated to old traditions, strange beliefs, British wildlife and the stories that linger in the landscape around us. And firmly anti-AI

I grew up in a tiny English village, surrounded by fields, hedgerows, old footpaths and people who seemed to know a story, saying or superstition for almost everything.

Some of my earliest memories of folklore aren’t of reading it in books at all. They came from my grandparents, and from the older people in the village, passing on little snippets of knowledge as though they were simply facts of life- things you should or shouldn’t do, signs in the weather, beliefs about plants and animals, and stories that had been repeated for generations.

At the time, I don’t think I really appreciated how special that was.

As I got older, I became fascinated by where those beliefs came from, which ones were still remembered and how many had quietly disappeared. Forgotten Path Folklore grew from wanting to collect those little fragments and give them somewhere to live again.

Folklore for everyday life

The folklore I love most isn’t always about grand myths or famous legends.

It’s the folklore hidden in ordinary things.

Blackberries growing along a footpath. An apple peel thrown over your shoulder. A magpie outside the window. Thunder in the distance. A badger emerging after dark. An old tree in a field. The first frost, the changing moon or the plants growing unnoticed in the hedge.

So much of our folklore came from people trying to understand the natural world around them, mark the changing seasons, predict what might happen next or simply make sense of everyday life.

I create illustrated prints, stickers, jewellery and other small pieces inspired by those traditions- usually with a distinctly British countryside feel and, quite often, a slightly ridiculous woodland animal somewhere in the middle of it all.

Everything begins with a piece of folklore, an old custom or a strange belief that catches my attention. I research its story, disappear down far too many historical rabbit holes, and eventually turn it into something I can draw, make or share.

The Folkletter

I also create The Folkletter, my monthly folklore snail-mail subscription.

Each edition follows the seasons, exploring the folklore, customs, wildlife and natural world surrounding that particular time of year.

Inside you’ll find a handwritten-style folklore letter alongside original illustrations and little extras created especially for subscribers.

It’s my way of bringing back the feeling of receiving something special through the post- while also following the year in the way generations before us once did: noticing what is flowering, what is ripening, what is returning, what the weather is doing and which old traditions belong to that particular moment in the calendar.

Made slowly & thoughtfully

Forgotten Path Folklore is a very small independent business, and the artwork you see here is drawn by me. I am firmly anti-AI

I also try to make what I do as sustainable as possible. Being so inspired by the British countryside and natural world, it feels important that the way I make and package things reflects that too. Wherever I can, I try to make thoughtful choices, avoid unnecessary waste and choose materials and packaging with their environmental impact in mind.

It won’t always be perfect, but sustainability is something I want to keep improving as Forgotten Path Folklore grows.

I want everything I make to feel as though it belongs somewhere between an old countryside field guide, something discovered in the back of a forgotten drawer, and something that makes you laugh because a badger is taking an ancient British custom far too seriously.

More than anything, I hope Forgotten Path Folklore encourages you to notice the landscape around you a little differently.

To look at the blackberry bush, the old oak tree, the bird on the fence or the strange tradition your grandmother once mentioned and wonder:

Why did people believe that?

Because there are old stories everywhere.

You just have to know where to look.

Welcome to Forgotten Path Folklore!