If you venture north into the hills and moors of Northumberland, you’ll soon notice just how bleak the scenery is. It’s stunningly beautiful no matter the time of year. But you won’t be surprised to hear the legends of the Simonside dwarfs in such a windswept, desolate place. Yet banish all thoughts of Tolkien’s jolly […]
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[Book Review] Tudor Folk Tales
We can often think of the Tudor period as being one of strict class and gender boundaries. Or we look at the shenanigans of the ruling royal family and work backwards to assume what the era must have been like. Tudor Folk Tales by Dave Tonge aims to dispel some of these myths – and […]
Dartmoor: Home of Hairy Hands, Spectral Dogs, and the Watching Place
Few places in England conjure the concept of ‘wildness’ quite as well as Dartmoor. This national park boasts rocky outcrops, Stone Age remains, and more ghosts and legends than you can shake a stick at. Headless horsemen, black dogs, bottomless pools, and plenty of Devil-related shenanigans await on the moors. It’s hardly surprising that Sir […]
Is Victorian death photography creepy or just sad?
The Victorians could certainly be a weird bunch. They invented the modern seance and picnicked in cemeteries. Talented taxidermists turned the craft into an art form, particularly involving anthropomorphised animals. They made jewellery out of the hair of their loved ones. It’s hardly surprising that they’d also invent death photography. As we’re in the build-up […]
Are Ouija boards really evil doorways to hell?
Ouija boards hold a particularly sinister reputation, even among people who might otherwise consider themselves rational or scientific. They’ll happily use an EMF meter, or bust out the cameras and voice recorders, on a ghost hunt. But show them a Ouija board and you can’t see them for dust. If you believe horror movies, the […]
Halloween spells for Protection, Romance & Loved Ones
Plastic pumpkins and foam headstones fill the shops. Youtube groans under the weight of Halloween makeup tutorials. And the television stations pump their channels full of creaky old horror films. But for those in the know, this is the time for Halloween spells, honouring the dead, and preparing for winter. Don’t panic at the mention […]
