‘We Burn For Good’: the motto of the Sussex Bonfire Societies.
Born out of a fervent Protestant and anti-Catholic tradition in the area, these Bonfire Societies are a window into our country’s past. Behind the carnivals they present today, you can glimpse riots, religious hatred, and a lot of people being burnt at the stake…
Category Archives: Folklore
Selkies – The Forgotten Seal-Men
In parts of the world where the selkie myth persists, there is a grave taboo around killing a seal.
Some believed selkies to be the cursed children of kings, witches who lost control of their own power, or the fate of those drowned at sea.
Whilst we often gender selkies as female, the selkies of old were mainly depicted as men…
The Ankou – the most terrifying figure in Celtic folklore?
Before the Grim Reaper, there was the Ankou…
It is said that every graveyard in Brittany has its own Ankou. Not long ago, he was someone they knew. He was the last soul to die in the village that year. Doomed to dwell on this Earth a year longer, serving the graveyard as its guardian and collector of souls.
Hag Stones – Magic from the Coastline
Known across the British isles and Northern Europe as hag stones, witch stones, adder stones. It’s easy to see why our ancestors were perplexed by how hag stones could have formed naturally, and instead linked them to the involvement of the supernatural.
Find out what the rationale for their magic is, what they were used for and where to find them…
Sea Serpents in Britain – Ancient Origins
When the Vikings turned up in North Wales they were staggered to see a huge, slumbering sea serpent curled around the coastline. They didn’t call them serpents but ‘werms’. It’s no coincidence the name of this landmark sounds so similar, the name ‘Orme’ deriving from their very speech…
Staring At The Sea - Tales From the British Coast 