From shadowy forests to crumbling villages, folk horror conjures a world where ancient rites, rural isolation, and ancestral dread meet modern anxieties. This seminar delves into the chilling genre of folk horror, tracing its roots from classic British cinema — such as The Wicker Man — to contemporary revivals like Midsommar and The Witch. We'll also read several short stories and two novels to explore how folk horror reflects cultural tensions around nature, tradition, community, and the uncanny.
In the process we will examine key themes including paganism vs. Christianity, folklore and myth, the outsider vs. the village, and the landscape as a source of fear.
By the end of the course, participants will have gained a nuanced understanding of how folk horror functions as both a genre and a cultural critique — one that continues to evolve in response to ecological, social, and political unrest.
Please obtain your own copies of the following books:
Withered Hill by David Barnett
Lost in the Garden by Adam S. Leslie |
