Weird Princesses (2013)
Tales with Colors (2014)
Epics A to Z (2015)
Diversity A to Z (2016)
WTF - Weird Things in Folktales (2017)
WTF Hungary - Weird Things in Hungarian Folktales (2018)
Fruit Folktales (2019)
Folktales of Endangered Species (2020)
Tarot Tales (2021)
This year I am continuing the tradition of doing a "Mythology and Folklore" theme. (Obviously.) Drum roll, please! The theme for the 2022 A to Z Challenge on this blog is:
GEMSTONE FOLKLORE!
This one has been a long time coming, because it requires an incredible amount of research. In fact, I think this is the hardest challenge theme I have ever done! I started the research part way back in December, although some of these posts have been in the making for years.
There are a couple of things you need to know in advance:
1. The reason why research has been so hard is that there is a lot of "gemstone folklore" out there that is not properly sourced. You can read my epic rant about this here.
2. For the sake of clarity, we need to talk about definitions. Minerals are solid, naturally occurring inorganic substances. Some precious materials are, however, organic in origin - such as amber, jet, pearl, or coral. Gemstone, technically, is any mineral or petrified material that has been cut or polished, to be turned into jewelry. The posts this month will vary in that some will be about minerals, some will be about organic precious materials, and some will be about actual gems. I am using "gemstone" in the title of the series because it is the most easily accessible term to the average reader.
3. I have come to love minerals from the direction of science. We learned some gemology at the university as part of my Archaeology studies. I generally love shiny things, and I am endlessly fascinated by the chemistry of how minerals form, and the part they have played in human culture for millennia.
4. Which means, this theme will talk a lot about folklore, but not about the esoteric use of minerals. Simply because I don't believe in that. If you are interested in the stance of science and psychology on the topic of "crystal healing", I highly recommend this book.
WAIT! THERE IS MORE!
Since April is still pretty far away, I plan on posting a few stories in advance. Stories that talk about precious stones in general - and also stories that are doing the "gemstone lore" circuit, even though they are not actually folklore. So, watch this space for more :)
Posts
Sounds interesting as your topics always are. I am doing A to Z. But my theme revel isn't up yet. It will be family history related as always.
ReplyDeleteOh, I'm gonna get so much inspiration from following you through this year's challenge!
ReplyDeleteI've only done the A-Z challenge once and failed two or three times. I commend anyone who is able to finish. It's a lot of work.
ReplyDeleteOh, I like this theme! I'm looking forward to your posts.
ReplyDeletehttps://theversesmith.blogspot.com/
https://lisasgardenadventureinoregon.blogspot.com/
That sounds like a good theme. Good job being the first one on the list!!!
ReplyDeleteYou always come up with such fascinating topics! I love gemstones and crystals.
ReplyDeleteThat's a fascinating theme. I started preparing before Christmas too, but I'm still not ready!
ReplyDeletehttps://suestrifles.wordpress.com/2022/03/07/sues-theme-reveal-for-the-atozchallenge-2022/
Congrats on having completed the Challenge 10 years in a row.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by my blog.
I have been following your "Mythology and Folklore" theme since I started participating in A to Z back in back in 2017 I think. Always great posts. I am very excited about the gemstone aspect of this years theme. Can wait to read your April 1 post!
ReplyDeleteWow! What an interesting theme! Looking forward to seeing if you'll cover any of the gemstones I have sitting in a dish.
ReplyDelete⮞ Anjela's Blog
Such a great theme, as usual. And a fascinating one too.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to read your post! :-)
@JazzFeathers
The Old Shelter - Theme Reveal - Enter the New Woman
What a marvellous theme! I love crystals and can't wait to read your posts. I'm still in two minds whether to do the A to Z this year! Let's see
ReplyDeleteSounds like an awesome theme! I can't wait to read what you have found.
ReplyDeleteRonel visiting forA-Z Challenge Theme Reveal 2022
I've enjoyed reading you in the past, and I will be back to check out your A to Z posts. My familiarity with gemstones is only as a wearer and I look forward to learning more. Thank you for your visit to my reveal.
ReplyDeleteI'm always a sucker for crystals and gemstones, so I'm very eager to follow your A-to-Z! <3
ReplyDeleteWow, this is such a cool theme! I am both interested in the physical properties of minerals and gemstones and into their esoteric meanings, even though I do not really believe in that sort of thing either. I have really loved reading your folktale posts during the past A to Z Challenges, but this year I'll be watching your blog especially closely. Happy A to Z!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a fun theme! Looking forward to it :)
ReplyDeleteAbout Gem stones. Useful information.
ReplyDeleteTheme revealed. A to Z - Activities, Competencies, Education and Training of Engineering Supervisors
This sounds like such a neat topic. My daughter is into crystal healing, so thanks for the book recommendation. I look forward to reading more about folklore in April.
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting my blog.
After ages, I'll attempt the challenge again this year--hiya Csenge!
ReplyDeleteAll the best, and I look forward to following your posts.
Hard to believe this blog Challenge has surpassed a decade! Thank you for all that you have contributed to its success.
ReplyDeleteYour theme sounds interesting. I don't know much about the folklore of gemstones let alone gemstones themselves. You will be providing an educational service with your series.
Have fun!
Arlee Bird
Tossing It Our Theme Reveal 2022
Your series are always fabulous and I love folktales in general, but I'm especially excited that you'll be doing gemstones, another favorite of mine. I can't wait to open your treasure chest and see what's within.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds great. I'm looking forward to learning more about minerals and gems and shiny things.
ReplyDeleteI thought I was an early bird when I started drafting posts in February. Next year, I might follow your lead and start in December because I'm still not all the way through the alphabet.
What an interesting theme! I will definitely read the series! All the best
ReplyDeleteWow! I love folktales, I´m looking forward to see what have you found about those gemstones.
ReplyDeleteI am so excited to see what you come out with.
ReplyDeleteI'm having difficulty leaving comments, so hopefully this will work... This sounds like a fun (and possibly challenging!) theme. I look forward to it!
ReplyDeleteOh, goody, I hope you do agates. I've been picking them up on the Olympic Peninsula in WA but also found one along the Thames: with reds and oranges, but clear!
ReplyDeleteHi! Stumbled on your blog from twitter..it was your theme that caught my eye instantly! Having been a student of Geology (a long while ago), this topic/theme seemed really interesting! Will try and check out the posts...
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