Chillingham Castle stands in Northumberland, some 14 miles north of Alnwick. It dates back to the tumultuous days of the 12th century. Even Edward I, Hammer of the Scots, stayed here on his journey north in 1298. The castle boasts a dungeon beneath the northeastern tower. A rack, an iron maiden and various other implements lie […]
Weaving – A Short Fiction about Fate
Flames blazed in the wall braziers around the stone courtyard. Ornate clocks lined the columns of the cloister, though the hands never moved around their faces. Time hung suspended over the citadel of the Fates, its momentous occasions twinkling like stars in a false firmament. The first sister sat on a stool, her eyes roving […]
The Ghost Story – A Fowlis Westerby Tale
Twenty people gathered in the library of Cavill House. They sat on hard wooden chairs arranged near the fireplace, checking their watches and muttering amongst themselves. A tall wing-backed chair sat in front of the hearth, the small table beside it holding a candlestick and a glass of port. Books sat in the usually empty […]
The Shadow Cabinet
Prime Minister Etherington sat at his desk, staring at the reports laid out before him. The words swam before his eyes, with particular phrases leering at him. “Possible conspiracy”…. “grave threat to the nation”…. “utmost importance”…. “imminent danger”… “I have no idea what to make of all of this. Can any of it be substantiated?” […]
Who is the River God Tyne on the side of the Civic Centre?
Newcastle and Gateshead are currently awash with adverts for the Great Exhibition of the North. The aim is to promote the art, design and innovation in the region now. But what of its heritage and culture? We’ve played host to the Romans, the Vikings, and indigenous British tribes. With that in mind, let’s meet the mighty […]
Folklore of Fortune Telling, Superstitions, and Avoiding Danger
In the 1990s, paper fortune tellers were all the rage at my school. They were like the low-tech version of a Magic 8 ball, another fortune telling ‘toy’. Ours never looked as fancy as this one, but this is what I mean. Their use in England dates to the 1950s (Opie 2001 [1959], pp. 341–342). […]
