Stories from the Ancients: Autumn Myths & Folklore Around the World 🌿

jmshortt
Oct 7
3 min read

As the days grow shorter, leaves tumble into carpets of russet and gold, and the air turns crisp with promise, autumn arrives not only as a season—but as a story. Across cultures and centuries, people have woven myths and folklore around this in-between time of year. Autumn is a season of gathering, of endings and beginnings, and of honoring the cycles of nature. Let’s take a walk through the old tales and see how our ancestors explained this magical season.

🍂 Greek Myth: Persephone’s Return to the Underworld

In Greek mythology, autumn begins when Persephone, goddess of spring and queen of the underworld, returns to Hades. Her mother, Demeter—the goddess of harvest—mourns her absence, letting the fields wither and the crops die back. This cycle of loss and reunion gave the Greeks a way to understand the turning of the seasons. Each falling leaf whispers Persephone’s descent, and every spring bloom celebrates her return.

🌕 Chinese Folklore: The Moon and the Harvest

The Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival (Zhongqiujie) is steeped in legend, celebrated when the moon is at its brightest and fullest. One of the most beloved tales is that of Chang’e, the moon goddess who drank an elixir of immortality and floated up to the heavens, forever separated from her earthly love, Hou Yi. Families gather to honor her, sharing mooncakes beneath the luminous glow, weaving love, longing, and gratitude into their autumn nights.

🦉 Celtic Samhain: Between Worlds

Long before Halloween, the Celts celebrated Samhain (pronounced “sow-in”), marking the end of harvest and the beginning of winter. It was believed that during this liminal time, the veil between the living and the dead grew thin, allowing spirits to pass through. People lit bonfires, wore disguises, and left out offerings to honor ancestors and ward off mischievous spirits. Today, traces of Samhain live on in our modern fall traditions of costumes, pumpkins, and gatherings around flickering candles.

🍁 Native American Harvest Legends

Many Indigenous peoples across North America have autumn stories tied to the land and harvest. Among the Cherokee, the “Harvest Moon” was a time to give thanks to the Great Spirit for the abundance of corn, beans, and squash. The Iroquois spoke of the Three Sisters—corn, beans, and squash—as sacred gifts and guardians of sustenance. Autumn festivals were less about endings and more about gratitude and community, reminding us that life’s cycles are meant to be shared.

🦊 Japanese Folklore: Kitsune and the Rice Harvest

In Japan, foxes—or kitsune—were thought to be messengers of Inari, the deity of rice and prosperity. As farmers harvested their fields in autumn, they honored Inari with rituals to ensure abundance and protection. Kitsune were said to light up the night with foxfire, dancing across the fields like sparks of magic. Imagine walking home on an autumn dusk, lantern light flickering, believing that the glowing orbs in the fields were playful fox spirits.

🌻 Norse Myth: The Weaving of Fate

In Norse tradition, autumn was seen as a reminder of life’s fleeting nature. The Norns—three powerful beings who wove the threads of fate—were often tied to the cycles of harvest and decline. Farmers stored away grain and meat, preparing for winter’s uncertainty, while skalds (poets) sang of how even gods could not escape the weaving of time. Autumn became a meditation on endings, destiny, and the beauty of impermanence.

✨ Why These Stories Still Matter

Autumn myths remind us that this season is not just about falling leaves—it’s about transitions, gratitude, and trust in cycles greater than ourselves. The ancients saw autumn as a time of mystery, connection, and reverence for the unseen. Today, when we sip cider by candlelight or take long walks through leaf-strewn paths, we are still—whether we realize it or not—carrying forward their stories.

So next time you gather a blanket around your shoulders and watch the golden sun dip behind the trees, remember: autumn has always been a season of stories, whispered down from the ancients, waiting for us to listen.