folk horror
Pastoral terror genre
Folk horror is a subgenre of horror fiction drawing on folklore, rural settings, and pagan or occult traditions.
Stories typically involve isolated communities, ancient rituals, and the clash between modern outsiders and deep-rooted local beliefs.
The term gained currency from British films like *The Wicker Man* and *The Blood on Satan's Claw*, though the sensibility spans literature, television, and video games: The game leans into folk horror with its harvest festivals and standing stones.
- wickerPliant twig for weaving
- wicker manLarge woven human-shaped structure
- ritualCeremonial set of actions
- blood sacrificeRitual killing for deities
- harvestGathering mature crops
harvest festival · pagan · sacrifice · midsummer · cult · countryside · village · village elders · occult · ancient · woodland · superstition · isolated · tradition · bonfire · mask · fertility · druid