Stories and Folklore on Ice

With cold weather breathing down our necks again, I got to thinking about ice.

I've dealt with a lot of ice in the last few weeks. Larry is usually the go-to man for such things but with his new knee still healing up, I've been out and about a lot more than usual as I take care of outside chores. I don't mind, and I am sure to put those Yak Trax  ice cleats on my boots, but I have to say, I will be glad to have my man back on the job.

Our driveway was basically a skating rink at the end near the house. Lots of rain followed by freezing temperatures made sure the water was ice in no time at all. Lots of ice. Ice many inches thick in places. Then there was the usual ice on walks, on puddles, and well, pretty much everywhere. I broke up what I could with a mattock, spread sand and wood ash on walks and the worst places on the driveway. And then waited for the thaw, which came late last week.

And now, looks like more ice is on the way and this next weather wave will start with wind and rain before turnng abruptly to snow and below zero temps. Ah me.

But with all that said, I must admit ice holds a fascinating beauty. Like these photos, for example:

This first one was taken by my storytelling friend Gwyn Calvetti, who lives in Minnesota where sub-zero weather is a common winter occurrence. This is a soap bubble, blown in these cold temperatures--it freezes almost immediately and just look at the beauty created!

My sister Juianne Estes often hikes in Shenandoah National Park, and this past weekend took photos of the beautiful ice formations she saw during her hike, like these:

I remember when Jack Frost visited our windows in my childhood home. We don't see that phenonemon these days, but every now and again we might see something pretty on the car windows:

Then there are icicles, admittedly potentially dangerous, but still full of beauty:

Earlier this winter we got to see ice flowers for the first time, and now that I know why they form, I know when and where to look for them in the future.

Of course, ice can bring destruction too, as happened here in the 2003 ice storm--an event I will never forget and hope to never experience again. But never say never, right?

And then there are icy superstitions and weather lore:

Corona: “If a circle forms ‘round the moon,‘Twill rain soon.” The circle that forms around the sun or moon is called a halo. Halos are formed by the light from the sun or moon refracting (bending) as they pass through the ice crystals that form high-level cirrus and cirrostratus clouds. These clouds do not produce rain or snow, but they often precede an advancing low pressure system which may bring bad weather. (from National Park Service's education page.)

Ice in November to walk a duck, the winter will be all rain and muck.

If at Christmas, ice hangs on the willow, then clover may be cut at Easter.

If ice will bear a man at Christmas, it will not bear a mouse afterward.

As long as icicles hang from the roof in winter, so long will flax hang from the distaff.

To be caught in a hailstom is a sign your friends are growing cold

Take a meat chopper outside and cut the ground to frighten off a hailstorm.

This tale comes from Australia:

"An aboriginal myth says that frost comes from the seven stars of the Pleiades, also called the Seven Sisters. The sisters once lived on Earth but were so cold they sparkled with icicles. They flew up into the sky and once each year they pull off their icicles and hurl them down to Earth."

Icy riddles too:

I have no taste,
I have no smell,
You can see right through me,
and can not tell

Lives in winter
dies in summer
grows with its roots upward.

An Anglo-Saxon riddle from the book of Exeter Riddles, circa 960-980 AD). This is riddle #6.

A thing came marvelously     moving over the waves,
comely from the keel up.     It called out to the land,
loudly resounding.     Its laughter was horrible,
awful in its place.     Its edges were sharp;
hateful it was,     and sluggish to battle,
bitter in its hostile deeds.     It dug into shield-walls,
hard, ravaging.     It spread mischievous spells.
It spoke with cunning craft     about its creation:
“Dearest of women     is indeed my mother;
she is my daughter     grown big and strong.
It is known to men of old,     among all people,
that she shall stand up beautifully     everywhere in the world.”


A famous riddle tells the story of a person (sometimes male, in other versions female) who is found murdered in their bed with many stab wounds. The victim and the bed are soaking wet, and on the nightstand is a glass of bloody water. What was the murder weapon?

Why are there sometimes ripples on icicles? Inside Science has the answer!

There is a lot more science about icicles on this sites:

How do icicles form? an article from LiveScience.

Icicle shapes discussed at Inside Science.


With its transformative powers, it is small wonder that ice sometimes appears in folktales and legends. The Snow Queen is probably one of the best known, and was the basis for Disney's Frozen.

Icicle Woman is a haunting (and kinda bloody) ghost story from Japan.

A funny Cajun tale about a unique way to retrieve an axe!

How Davy Crockett saved us from The Frozen Dawn.

Enough about ice! Now I need something warm to drink! Coffee, anyone? But not iced, at least this time.



Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.