Icy Sedgwick's Blog, page 6

Legends of Submerged Villages: Divine Punishment and Drowned Churches

If we think of submerged cities, lost beneath the waves, we’re probably most likely to think of Atlantis, that thought-experiment that took on a life of its own. Closer to home, there’s the lost Welsh kingdom of Cantre’r Gwaelod, believed to lie beneath the water between Bae Ceredigion and Ynys Enlli. Yet there are countless […]

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The Mouse in Folklore: Medicine, Omens, and Collecting Teeth

The humble mouse appears in a surprising amount of folklore. Both a harbinger of death if spotted in the house, and a medical remedy for a range of ailments, it seems the mouse both harms and heals. This reputation even stretches back to ancient Egypt, demonstrating just how ambivalent humans have felt about the tiny […]

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Horses in Folklore: Black Bess, Hag Riding, and Spectral Steeds

Humans first domesticated horses in around 3500 BC (Tallis 2012). Since then, they’ve pulled our chariots and carts, carried royalty and soldiers, worked on farms, and been steadfast companions. Horses are actually a prey animal, which perhaps explains their vulnerability to supernatural attack by witches and fairies. Yet as the stories in this article will […]

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Dogs in Folklore: Loyal Companions and Witches’ Familiars

Britain is supposed to be a nation of animal lovers, especially when it comes to pet dogs. According to the PDSA, 29% of UK adults own a dog, which gives an estimated population of 10.6 million pet dogs. By comparison, 24% of UK adults have a cat, but because cat owners often have more than […]

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Deer Folklore: Omens, Cults, and White Stag Legends

Human relationships with deer stretch back thousands of years. Archaeologists uncovered red deer skulls at Star Carr in Yorkshire which are 11,000 years old. No one knows what they were used for, if they had practical applications or were used in shamanic rituals. But it suggests some kind of relationship between humans and deer, even […]

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Listener Supernatural Experiences Part 3 of 3

I’ve been sharing real-life supernatural experiences from Fabulous Folklore listeners for the past couple of weeks. It’s been brilliant to see how vulnerable people have been in sharing these, since talking about such things can often earn you a strong amount of scorn. But I really think it’s important to preserve these stories, a) to […]

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Listener Supernatural Experiences Part 2 of 3

If you read the real-life supernatural experiences I shared last week, you would have noticed two things. First, not all experiences are terrifying. Some can be affirming, or so regular as to have become commonplace. Second, they don’t need to be full-on light and sound shows to deeply affect someone. We’re likely to pay attention […]

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Listener Supernatural Experiences Part 1

If you believe the movies, supernatural experiences are big, brash and bold – or they’re just so bone-chillingly terrifying that you’re completely unable to do anything. I’m looking at you, 1963 version of The Haunting. But in reality? They can be far more subtle – but no less bizarre, scary, or unsettling, getting under your […]

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The Tedworth Drummer: Haunting or Hoax?

Certain cases loom large in the history of the supernatural, especially in relation to the investigation of the supernatural. The 20th century provided the likes of the Enfield Poltergeist. Even Willington Mill in the 19th century offered an earlier opportunity. Yet the Tedworth Drummer offered an opportunity to explore a haunting in the 17th century. […]

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The Mysterious Haunting at Willington Mill, Wallsend

We might think of ghost hunts or investigations as a predominantly 20th and 21st-century endeavour. Yet the legend of the ghosts at Willington Mill shows that people were trying to unearth the supernatural even in the first half of the 19th century. Spectral figures and unearthly noises plagued those living at the miller’s house, with […]

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