Many cultures have some form of ‘little people’, be they leprechauns, brownies, or pixies. The knockers are a specific form of ‘little people’, believed to derive from early Welsh folklore. Considered the earliest inhabitants of Wales, the knockers taught the art of mining to the Britons. They’re now more closely associated with Cornwall. Tin mining […]
folklore
What 4 weird things you might find at an English crossroads?
Crossroads occur in folklore and legends all over the world. One of the most famous examples involves legendary blues musician, Robert Johnson. He claimed to have made a pact with the Devil at a crossroads, which explained his prodigious talent. And don’t forget some of the strange folklore involving burying things at crossroads. One old […]
Are the Simonside dwarfs like the miners of Middle Earth?
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 […]
[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 […]
Why do we use the jack o’ lantern at Halloween?
Alongside cats and broomsticks, carved pumpkins have become synonymous with Halloween. Making a jack o’ lantern is no longer related to the important job of protecting hearth and home. Instead, people compete to make the scariest or most artistic lantern. Seriously, check out some amazing carved pumpkin art on Pinterest.
The Broomstick In Folklore: The Witch’s Ideal Transport
Just as cats are intricately bound up with the image of the witch, so is the broomstick. Widely believed to be the witch’s favourite mode of transport, the broomstick serves as both vehicle and tool. Or does it? Just why is this humble household item so common among depictions of witches? I do think the […]
