Places of Darkness and Shadows


The Witches of the Logan Stone


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Underground Realm of the Knockers

Image
The Knockers are fairy creatures well known in Welsh, Cornish and Devon folktales. They are also known as Bucca in Cornish tales and Bwca in Welsh. Knockers are tiny creatures, no more than two feet tall similar in appearance to other fairies such as dwarves and goblins that live underground. They were said to be spindly limbed with only slits for mouths and dark beady eyes. Like a lot of fairies they have a mischievous side! Knockers became well known when mining became a popular industry when humans began mining in their underground homes. To some they were malevolent but to others they were helpful . They earned their name as Kockers as they would knock underground leading the miners to valuable mineral deposits in return for food, proper Cornish pasties were their favourite treat? But they could turn nasty and scare the miners and play tricks on them. Knockers could not stand the sound of whistling and bad language, they often showered the perpetrators with a shower of s...
Read more

Beware the Pixie Fires of the Will O' Wisps

Image
A will o' wisp is an ghostly light often seen by lost and weary travellers in the dead hours of night whom they lure astray, most commonly spotted near bogs, swamps and marshes. They form a big part of English and European folklore and are also known as Jack o'lanterns, Elf fire, Hinky Punk and Fox Fire.  In Wales will o's wisps are called  Ellylldan which means fire fairy. There is a tale of Iolo the bard who followed an ellylldan from the Welsh mountains to a boggy valley where it led him on a wild chase. Will o wisps were commonly seen around the fenland swamps of East Anglia before they were drained at the beginning of the twentieth century. It was advised that one could escape from a will o wisp by lying face down until they went away. In Devon and Cornwall will o wisps are more commonly known as Pixie light and upon the wild moors where travellers can be "pixie-led" by strange lights which entice travellers away from the safe routes and...
Read more

Imps: They just want to have fun.

Image
The imp, said to be similar to a goblin  is a rather ambiguous figure prominent in British folklore. Some tales from the Middle Ages depict imps as being familiars, creatures that serve witches whilst in others they are regarded as god's assistants. They are first mentioned in Germanic folklore where they are depicted as small demons who like to wreak havoc and play mischievous tricks. Hence the word "impish" is used to describe someone with a playful nature. Imps are said to be small creatures, like goblins and gnomes.They are considered to be different from their green cousins. the moorland Pixies due to their demonic nature. Imps are generally considered immortal, but  legend has it they can be harmed. They are not considered attractive but small and squat like with big ears and noses. Since the middle ages they have garnered a somewhat bad reputation but they only play tricks and cause mischief because they seek human companionship as they are considered to...
Read more