Icy Sedgwick's Blog, page 5

Cows in Folklore: From Fairy Cattle to Spectral Calves

Certain animals might spring to mind when it comes to folklore. Hares, horses, deer, cats – they all have an otherworldly quality to them. Would you consider the same of cows? There’s a surprising amount of folklore about cows. They can be death omens, fairy cattle, consumption cures, or even the guardians of treasure. That’s […]

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Sheep in Folklore: From Medical Remedies to Good Luck Charms

Following on from 2024’s theme of the Folklore of Animals, this month we’ll examine the Folklore of Agricultural Animals. This week, we’ll explore the folklore, legends, and even folk medicine associated with sheep. Sheep are not native to the UK. Neolithic settlers brought them to Britain from southwest Asia in around 3000 BCE. Sheepskin and […]

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Mourning Folklore: From Giving Rings to Wearing Black

If you think of the phrase “to be in mourning”, you’ll probably imagine a Victorian scene. Perhaps a black-clad widow ushers similarly black-clad children to a desolate graveyard in the depths of autumn. Or maybe you picture a grand house, shuttered up against the world that continues outside, while life is paused for those inside […]

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The Green Children of Woolpit: Fairies, Aliens, or Something Else?

According to legend, two green children wandered into a village in 12th-century Suffolk. No one knew who they were or where they came from. Their refusal to eat and unfamiliar language made locals wary. Over time, they gradually assimilated, and told a fantastic story of their origins. Were they fairies? Lost children with big imaginations? […]

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The Folklore of Dowsing, aka Water Witching

Dowsing is a fascinating form of divination since it is often used to find water, minerals, or even lost items. While other forms of divination like tarot or botanomancy seek to provide information, here the information is often of a tangible sort. Rather than telling a fortune, or providing a prophetic dream that must be […]

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The Geordie Dialect: Its History and Some Basic Phrases

There can be a tendency to view folklore as antiquated customs, old legends, or outdated practices. Yet folklore is not disconnected from contemporary life, and is an ever-evolving part of our lived experience. Folk music and folk art are two obvious branches, yet dialect and language is another. Louise Pound refers to dialect as “linguistic […]

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The Loch Ness Monster: Kelpie, Legend, or Giant Eel?

The Loch Ness Monster is perhaps one of the world’s most enduring mysteries. Does a giant reptile really lurk in a Scottish loch? Has it somehow survived for millennia on its own? Or is it something darker and more dangerous? It is, after all, a monster. Its legend dates to the 7th century, although recorded […]

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Legends of RMS Titanic: Mummy Curses and Ghost Captains

Few maritime disasters have captured the public imagination like the RMS Titanic. Perhaps it’s because of the relatively recent nature of its sinking, compared to the loss of the Mary Rose warship. The countless films, documentaries, and exhibitions probably help in prolonging fascination. New theories and reconstructions attempt to pin blame on one factor or […]

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Blue Men of the Minch: Scotland’s Storm Kelpies

When we look at types of folkloric creature, we often encounter the same types in different places, such as mermaids or fairies. But occasionally, you encounter a creature so localised that it only appears in a single place. The Blue Men of the Minch are one such example. Feared by sailors, the Blue Men of […]

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The Lament (Flash Fiction)

The bow scrapes across the strings, tentative at first, and faltering notes tumble into the twilight. As the prelude gives way to the melody, the bow glides back and forth, and delicate fingers caress the neck of the instrument. I remember those fingers, so long and pale, even in life. The violin sings its mournful […]

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