When it comes to hills and mountains in the British Isles, perhaps one hill feels more mystical than many others…and that’s Glastonbury Tor. Standing some 158 m high, it’s said to be a fairy hill, one of those curiously hollow hills in which fairies made them home. Not just any fairies lived inside Glastonbury Tor […]
Folklore
Rescuing a Maiden: Dragon Legends on the Drachenfels
If we head to the Siebengeberge uplands in Germany, we’ll find a hill named the Drachenfels near Königswinter. It stands at 321 m and the name translates as Dragon’s Rock, named after a dragon that allegedly lived on its slopes. It’s also not far from the Lorelei Rock, so named for the seductive water nymph […]
Fairy Legends of the Bannau Brycheiniog
We’re off to the gorgeous surroundings of the Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) this week for the Folklore of Mountains and Hills. There’s also a lovely link with my focus on Northumberland last week. Where the Northumberland National Park and most of Kielder Water & Forest Park are an International Dark Sky Park, the Bannau Brycheiniog […]
The Folklore of the Cheviots: Ghosts, Fairies & Smugglers
There’s something both primal and ancient about mountains. Beautiful and remote, they can provide a harsh and unforgiving environment for those who venture into their territory. Sometimes linked with sleeping giants, mountains are also a reminder of the Earth’s formation, with rock contorted into fantastic shapes by immense geological pressures. We’re heading into Folklore of […]
Haunted Libraries: Footsteps and Shushes in the Stacks
If you’re anything like me, the idea of haunted libraries will conjure up the opening scene of Ghostbusters (1984). Our heroes investigate disturbances at the New York Public Library and encounter a ghost that tells them to shush. Surprisingly, this doesn’t seem to be so far off the mark if we look at tales of […]
Haunted Prisons: Ghosts of Joliet, Shepton Mallet, and Barlinnie
While schools and universities boast urban legends alongside ghosts, prisons tend to be more like hospitals. You find tales of hauntings, but little in the way of folklore. It’s probably due to the concentration of human life in one place – and the brutality that runs alongside it. Haunted prisons somehow don’t seem so surprising. […]
