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 […]
#FolkloreThursday
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
