Theatres attract tales of ghosts and hauntings like few other types of building. The Theatre Royal in Drury Lane is no exception. The current Theatre Royal in Covent Garden dates to 1812. It’s actually the fourth incarnation on the site since 1663. You can even find 18th-century foundations below ground level. The third incarnation of […]
Folklore
Meet the Grey Lady ghosts of Newcastle upon Tyne
Lots of locations around the UK boast a Grey Lady, a White Lady, or even a Green Lady. Such spectres are usually attached to sad tales of loss and a lot of them are nameless. When I visited Bamburgh Castle some years ago, one of the guides told me they have a Pink Lady. As […]
Who was the Grey Man of Bellister?
Many lonely and remote parts of the UK echo with tales of local spirits, such as the Grey Man of Bellister. These legends often refer to misdeeds of centuries past, specific locations that give rise to sad tales, or stories that provide an explanation for natural features. Some even act as a warning, and the […]
Hazel Trees in Folklore: Protection, Divination and Magic
Hazel trees, alongside oak, ash, and yew, are one of the ‘Big Four’ trees (Mac Coitir 2003). It’s considered both a protector and a marker for sacred places. While some debate that it’s a shrub, we’re going to consider it as a tree in this post. Nicholas Culpeper classified the hazel as a plant of […]
The Fantastic Magic and Folklore of Ash Trees
Ash trees form a common part of the British landscape. Bushy and beautiful in full leaf, they provide strong hardwood when coppiced. Use this handy guide from the Forestry Commission to identify ash trees. While thorn trees provide the most common tree-related place name in England, ash trees come second (Kendall 2021). People on the […]
What Willow Folklore Surrounds This Beautiful Tree?
The weeping willow is a common sign of mourning. Willow folklore often pokes tendrils into death superstitions and sayings. Margaret Baker relates the belief that “[i]n Louisiana, […] when a willow grew large enough to cast a grave-sized shadow, a family member would die” (2011: 159). In the UK, no builders in the Fens used sawn […]
