Hi, it’s your faithful and honest fae researcher reporting in! So recently Krako told stories associated with the Backrooms and Liminal Spaces. Now, there’s a WHOLE SECTION of Liminal Spaces we just couldnt cover on the podcast because, well, thats just too long for an episode. So here is my reporting on Liminal Spaces outside of what the Squid Man talked about.
So, Liminal Spaces. There are a TON. As Krako mentioned they are a space in between two spaces. So what Krako talked about was Liminal Spaces as areas where there should be hustle and bustle with lots of humans and there is none and the creepy feeling when it occurs. In Folklore and the Paranormal there are also Liminal Spaces. Think of them as the space where the lines between this world and whatever else is out there become thin.
Fog/Mist is one as it is where the sky meets the ground. The Mist by Stephen King is a good pop culture reference for this. Things looming up from the fog, like in the Gray Man of Ben MacDui episode, is another reference for this. There’s a reason horror shows like misty, foggy atmospheres as it is a way to help disguise the monster or murderer lurking outside the cabin. There is also belief that mists and fog are doorways into the Otherworld. If you’ve ever been in a dense fog with no sense of direction you’ll know that it is disorienting and scary.
Forests are another Liminal Space. Namely the junctions between civilization and wilderness. So the tree line where a field ends and a forest begins. A Bigfoot leering out from the edge of a treeline over a field of freshly cut corn, or a figure floating from out of the forest and into the old home set between the forest and the old fields it used to roam.
Even Forests themselves are liminal in the sense that humans don’t LIVE there. That’s why its the domain of Bigfoots, Little People, Ghosts, and any other manner of monster or haint.
Then we come to Crossroads. There’s a whole folklore surrounding Crossroads. Meeting the Devil at the crossroads, Crossroad hauntings from people killed while traveling, and much more stem from the belief that Crossroads are liminal spaces. Where the lines between this world and the next are thin enough for cloven hooves to thunder into the darkness.
Shorelines are another space where its considered a Liminal Space. Selkies, Kushtaka, Sirens, Mermaids, and more are all said to be dwellers in this area between the land and the sea. They are places where one realm gives way to another. The rocky sturdy ground slips away into the murky briny depths of the ocean where any manner of monster could lurk.
Caves are another big one. Humans have been fascinated with underground spaces since we climbed down from the trees. Humans have been entombing people since time immemorial. Its also the realm of Dwarves, Goblins, Gnomes, and Lizard People. Our minds go wild at the shadows cast from our little lights as they bounce off of water and limestone. The Otherworld is said to be under our own. The Mayans sacrificed people to the gods in underground aquifers to appease the gods and bring rain. There are so many cool and terrifying aspects of caves to explore that I cant get into here but look it up!
Bodies of Water like lakes or swamps are another. The Ancient Celts deposited offerings of expensive swords, jewelry and even people in the waters and bogs in Europe. Kelpies, hags, and other nasty things come from the fetid still waters of swamps and ponds.
Doorways are another one and they’re in the comfort of your own home! Vampires cant come into your house unless they are invited in. If you but a broom next to your front door haints cant get into your house because they will count every straw and wont be able to count them all before sunrise. Also don’t worry about that figure standing in the doorway to your bedroom…its nice…probably…
