Icy Sedgwick's Blog, page 35
October 11, 2018
The Surprising Truth about English Witch Trials
‘Witch hunt’ is a term currently being bandied around to relate to a whole raft of things. Yet in earlier centuries, the term referred to a very real danger. Rather than losing a reputation, its victims could lose their lives. Popular culture often implies a craze for witch trials swept Europe, with thousands of people […]
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October 4, 2018
What Charms Did Witches Use In Their Magic Spells?
Charms and rhymes characterise our memories of witchcraft from fairy tales and fantasy films. Do “Mirror, mirror, on the wall” or “Hubble bubble, boil and trouble” ring a bell? Many of these famous examples are invented for the purposes of fiction. But charms occupy a real place in the historical record, used as proof of […]
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September 7, 2018
Weaving – A Short Fiction about Fate
Flames blazed in the wall braziers around the stone courtyard. Ornate clocks lined the columns of the cloister, though the hands never moved around their faces. Time hung suspended over the citadel of the Fates, its momentous occasions twinkling like stars in a false firmament. The first sister sat on a stool, her eyes roving […]
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September 5, 2018
The Ghost Story – A Fowlis Westerby Tale
Twenty people gathered in the library of Cavill House. They sat on hard wooden chairs arranged near the fireplace, checking their watches and muttering amongst themselves. A tall wing-backed chair sat in front of the hearth, the small table beside it holding a candlestick and a glass of port. Books sat in the usually empty […]
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September 3, 2018
These 5 UK Castles Feature A Green Lady Ghost
Last week I introduced you to the Grey Lady of the Newcastle Assembly Rooms. I’d made the point on Twitter that ladies often appears as pink, white, or grey. Lots of people on Twitter told me that they’d also encountered green lady ghost stories as well, and one of my awesome subscribers sent me loads […]
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August 23, 2018
The Dark Side of Sheffield Folklore: Spectres and River Spirits
We’ve been moving around the north of England this month, in honour of the Great Exhibition of the North. After Newcastle, Manchester and York, we’re moving on to Sheffield folklore. Much like York, a plethora of ghost stories and sightings come up in a casual Google search. But let’s cast the net a little wider […]
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August 16, 2018
Devils, Cats, Tiny Streets & Witches: York Folklore At Its Best
York folklore can be a bit tough to search for on Google. It keeps trying to direct you to New York. As if the old one doesn’t exist. Which is idiotic. The Ghost Research Foundation International even labelled York the most haunted city in the world in 2002. Every pub boasts its own ghost. But […]
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August 9, 2018
John Dee: The Magician and the Devil in Manchester
What does an Elizabethan mathematician, a northern pre-industrial town, and Beelzebub have in common? Answer? They all appear in the tale of John Dee and the devil in Manchester. Dee, immortalised in the opera Dr Dee by Blur’s Damon Albarn, is a fascinating figure in Britain’s occult history. So without further ado, let’s pop back to the […]
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August 6, 2018
The Shadow Cabinet
Prime Minister Etherington sat at his desk, staring at the reports laid out before him. The words swam before his eyes, with particular phrases leering at him. “Possible conspiracy”…. “grave threat to the nation”…. “utmost importance”…. “imminent danger”… “I have no idea what to make of all of this. Can any of it be substantiated?” […]
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August 2, 2018
Who is the River God Tyne on the side of the Civic Centre?
Newcastle and Gateshead are currently awash with adverts for the Great Exhibition of the North. The aim is to promote the art, design and innovation in the region now. But what of its heritage and culture? We’ve played host to the Romans, the Vikings, and indigenous British tribes. With that in mind, let’s meet the mighty […]
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