Hello, everyone!
I really enjoy horror stories, and I really enjoy folk tales, but for some reason never combined the two to specifically search for a good folk horror read – all my experiences were circumstantial. I'd love to have some suggestions for such books or stories. And I understand that it's hard to think folk tales and not go into fantasy territory, so I'd include that as well, albeit with a preference for low kind of fantasy.
What I'm specifically looking for would be probably in the lines of Adam Nevill's "The Ritual", Joyce Carol Oates' "The Corn maiden" and even Chinua Achebe's "Things Fall Apart". Not an extensive universe with all kinds of vampires, and spirits, and zombies, and necromancers and some such (as an example, Andrzej Sapkowski's "The Witcher" series, while folk fantasy, is a bit too much and too fantasy for this craving), but more subtle, focused on one creature or one kind of creature: perhaps, assuming only feyfolk exists (I'd love to read folk horror about the Nordic fey, by the way!), or meeting a single old god-like being from ancient tales. As in deep, not wide.
While Nordic folk is an obvious choice, I'd also love suggestions about folk tales of different regions, be it something African, South-American, or of lesser known for their creatures European countries. As mentioned before, I'd love to read some horror or dark fantasy revolving around Nordic fey as mentioned above, but also have a soft spot for ancient Egyptian mythology, would love to learn about other folk tales of Africa asides for Nigerian and Egyptian, and have deep interest in Mexican stories. These aren't a must, but I'd really appreciate if someone could suggest any books or stories around those mythologies if you know them.
That said, I am not in preference of a specific time period, and would absolutely love to read something set in medieval, pre-historic, Victorian, or even modern times; and not tied to a specific rating, and would go for anything from pre-teen fairy tales to extreme horror. Neither is a determining factor.
Thank you everyone for your attention!
by kevintheradioguy