Icy Sedgwick's Blog, page 10

The Folklore of Wells: Healing, Wishing, Divining, and Cursing

Archaeological evidence reveals a close relationship between people and the spiritual world back to the Bronze Age. Springs often reveal ritual deposits, such as those found at the head of the Seine. It’s unsurprising that humans would continue this water-based relationship via wells. For some scholars, wells had either a patron deity or a guardian […]

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The Folklore of Forest Protectors and Guardians

Forests are ambivalent places, both beautiful and tranquil, yet also dangerous to the unwary. They’ve always been a source of resources for people, which is either embraced or exploited. As a result, there is a whole class of folklore involving forest protectors, spirits who guard the woods and all the animals within. These protectors ensure […]

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Fungi Folklore, Or the Mysterious Forest Fruit

Mushrooms have captured humanity’s attention for thousands of years. They appear in rock art, illuminated manuscripts, and more recently in plenty of 19th and early 20th century fairy illustrations. And who can forget the mushrooms in Alice in Wonderland? Fungi may have arrived on land some 700 million years ago. Scientists estimate there are anywhere […]

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The Folklore of Woodland Trees: Alder, Birch & Blackthorn

Walk through any woodland in Britain and you’ll no doubt be able to pick out the forest celebrities. Think ash, oak, and pine. But a healthy forest is full of a diverse range of woodland trees, each with their own legends and folklore. They also have party tricks that see them give back to the […]

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Folklore of Woodland Plants: Cowslips, Forget-Me-Nots, Lily of the Valley, Primroses & Red Campion

Certain plants evoke certain areas, like grasslands, meadows, hedgerows, or gardens. Others are full of the mystery of the forest, splashing colour across the woodland floor. Bluebells are famous for turning ordinary woods into a stunning scene in late March until early May. So in this post, we’re going to look at the folklore of […]

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The Ghosts of Culloden Moor: Lost Soldiers on the Battlefield

Culloden Moor is perhaps one of the saddest sites in the British Isles, the battlefield that played host to a massacre. It was also the last battle to take place on mainland Britain. The Battle of Culloden took place on 16 April 1746. It marked the end of the Jacobite Rebellion. It’s also apparently given […]

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Legends of Denbigh Moors: Ghosts, Snow and the Tylwyth Teg

The Denbigh Moors, or Mynydd Hiraethog, lie in north Wales. The area is home to two reservoirs, the Clocaenog Forest, and the Hafod Elwy Moor National Nature Reserve. At its highest point, it’s higher than Exmoor. The moors are a wild, desolate place, home to various types of wildlife. Yet if you believe the tales, […]

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Exmoor Folklore: Witches, Ghosts, and Fantastic Beasts

The name ‘Exmoor’ conjures mental images of ponies, undulating moorland, and Lorna Doone, R D Blackmore’s 1869 novel. It crosses the Somerset and Devon border, hugging the north Devon coast, and takes its name from the River Exe. Like Kielder in Northumberland, Exmoor is an International Dark Sky Reserve, making it a perfect place to […]

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Newcastle’s Town Moor: Fairs, Witches, and Common Land

If you say ‘moor’ to most people, they might think of Wuthering Heights, and Cathy wandering around looking for Heathcliff. Or they might think of Dartmoor, with its bizarre pools and strange legends of phantom hands. Maybe you think of Bodmin and its fantastic beast. You probably won’t immediately think of the Town Moor that […]

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50 Berkeley Square: The Most Haunted House in London

If I asked you to name “the most haunted house in London”, you probably wouldn’t pick Berkeley Square as your location. Yet for almost a century, No. 50. Berkeley Square had quite the supernatural reputation. It’s part of the Grosvenor Estate in Mayfair, built in the mid-18th century by architect William Kent. Famous residents of […]

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