Folk Horror

"Folk horror is a sub-genre of horror fiction characterised by reference to European, pagan traditions. Stories typically involve standing stone circles, earthworks, elaborate rituals or nature deities. As indicated by Mark Gatis in "A History of Horror", folk horror movies enjoyed international success in the late 1960s and early 1970s, many produced by Hammer Films in the UK. Blood on Satan's Claw (1971), Witchfinder General (1968) and The Devil Rides Out (1968) are all excellent examples but all are now overshadowed by the defining folk horror movie The Wickerman (1973).

But this particular boom by no means marks the full extent of folk horror on the big screen. Earlier examples like Curse of the Demon (1957) and much later ones such as Wake Wood (2011), show a genre significant before the 60s and still very much alive today".