This month, we’ve been exploring the origins of various names; streets, places, and even pubs. Looking at the origins of sports team names might seem antithetical to folklore. Yet sport forms part of the ritual calendar for many people, whether on a personal or a mass scale. Look at the good luck rituals people follow […]
folklore
The Folklore of British Pub Names Linked to Local History
There is no shortage of bizarre pub names in the UK. Some of them appear to be a combination of random objects, like the Frog and Nightgown. Others have a local story behind their odd name. I’ve covered unusual pub names before, so consider this Part 2. Yet when I started researching these examples, it […]
Strange Street Names: From The Philog to Dog Leap Stairs
Unlike place names, which often give us information who once lived somewhere, street names can be a different case entirely. Sometimes they bear the names of notable (and often now infamous) people. Other times they refer to long-gone industries performed in the area – you can guess what happened on Cock Lane in London, site […]
From Coven to Hot Coffee: The Folklore of Place Names Part 2
Place names are important and pass on a lot of valuable information, even if we no longer understand how to interpret it. Within them, they tell us who used to live in an area, or what natural features were important. Some of them even end up with a range of legends to explain names that […]
Goats in Folklore: From the Farmyard Doctor to the Devil
When I decided to write about goats in folklore, I thought I would find plenty of content. After all, they appear in mythology. Look at Amalthea, the goat reputed to have raised Zeus in Greek myth. Or the goats associated with the goatherd in the Auriga constellation. That’s before we get anywhere near the sign […]
Pigs in Folklore: From Piggy Banks to Spectral Sows
Pigs appear in folklore in somewhat unusual ways. Sometimes, they choose the location where a church should be built. Or they appear as phantoms, haunting misty moorland. Sailors or fishermen considered pigs unlucky, and wouldn’t even say ‘pig’ at sea. If they met a pig on their way to the boat, they would postpone sailing. […]
