Author Archives: Iain Monks

Vortigern’s Fortress

Posted on by Leave a comment
The Battle of the Dragons

The Battle of the Dragons

At the beginning of the 5th century the Roman Empire started to collapse and the legions were called back from Britain. The vacuum of power was taken up by a king called Vortigern, but he was pressed on all sides by the Picts and the Scotti who saw the loss of the legions as an opportunity to advance over the borders that the Romans had steadfastly guarded.

In desperation Vortigern hired Saxon mercenaries to supplement his own armies, but before long the Saxons began to seize British land for their own and resisted all attempts to send them back to their own lands.

Vortigern called together his advisors and between them they devised a plan to retreat westward into the mountains of Snowdonia and there to build a mighty fortress at Dinas Emrys from which to consolidate his power.

Read more »

Posted in Roman (43AD - 450AD), Caernarfonshire, Heroes and Villains

Little Sir Hugh

Posted on by Leave a comment

When the body of a nine year-old boy was found in a well in Lincoln in 1255, the Jewish owner of the well was (despite the lack of any evidence) held for the child’s murder.

Before his execution, he was tortured and coerced into implicating not only himself but also a number of prominent Jews, that had come to the city to attend a wedding, in a ritual murder that among other tortures involved the boy being crucified.

Six months earlier Henry III had sold his rights to tax the Jews to his brother Richard, Earl of Cornwall, this alleged crime gave him an excuse to seize the property of any found guilty of the crime.

92 Jews were arrested and taken to London, 18 were hanged for refusing to take part in the trial and the rest were found guilty and sentenced to death but later pardoned when Earl Richard interceded on their behalf.

Little Hugh’s body was buried in Lincoln Cathedral.

The story of the boy’s death stirred the anti-semitism that was already virulent in England at that time. Read more »

Posted in Medieval (1066AD - 1485AD), Foul Deeds, Lincolnshire, Songs and Poems

Thomas the Rhymer

Posted on by Leave a comment

Thomas, of Erceldoune, in Lauderdale, called the Rhymer, on account of his producing a poetical romance on the subject of Tristrem and Yseult, which is curious as the earliest specimen of English verse known to exist, flourished in the reign of Alexander III. of Scotland. Like other men of talent of the period, Thomas was suspected of magic. He was also said to have the gift of prophecy, which was accounted for in the following peculiar manner, referring entirely to the Elfin superstition.

Thomas meets the Queen of Elfland

Thomas meets the Queen of Elfland

As Thomas lay on Huntly Bank, he saw a beautiful lady riding by the Eildon Tree. Her skirts were of green silk like the leaves of spring and she wore a cloak of fine velvet. Thirty-nine silver bells hung from her horse’s mane, which were music to the wind as she paced along. Her saddle was of ivory, inlaid with fine jewels and gold thread. The fair huntress had her bow in hand, and her arrows at her belt. She led three greyhounds in a leash, and three raches, or hounds of scent, followed her closely.

Thomas pulled off his cap and dropped to his knee exclaiming “You must be Mary, Queen of Heaven! For thy peer on earth I never did see.”

“No Thomas,” she said, “That name does not belong to me, I am but the Queen of Elfland come to visit you. Should you dare to kiss my lips you will belong to me.”

Read more »

Posted in Berwickshire, Elves and Fairies

The Croglin Hall Vampire

Posted on by One comment

The Fisher Family who had lived at Croglin Low Hall (once known as Croglin Grange) for many centuries. moved from the property into larger dwellings and put the property up to let. The following spring the grange was finally let to the Cranswells, 2 brothers and a sister, who soon integrated into the villiage,.

Croglin Low Hall

Croglin Low Hall

One summer evening as the sun set and the shadow of darkness began to take hold Miss Cranswell paused to look out of the window in the direction of the darkened churchyard at the bottom of their long lawn.

It seemed that in the shadows she could see two points of light moving above the gravestones coming closer to the wall that separated the churchyard from the Hall’s grounds.

With a deep feeling of unease, Miss Cranswell shut the window tight bolted the door and laid down in her bed to try and get some sleep.

Suddenly she was jolted awake by a low rustling from outside the window. She twisted in bed and sat bolt upright, outside the window burning like coals in the night were two points of light, which she now recognised as the demon eyes of some humanoid creature.

Read more »

Posted in Cumberland, Monsters

The Devil and the School Master

Posted on by Leave a comment

Bury Grammar School is an independent grammar school that has existed since c.1570 the following tale is thought to have originated from the early days of the school. It seems that teachers were made of stern stuff in those days.

 

Old Mr. Hodgeson the master of the grammar school at bury was sat at his midday meal when his wooden trencher started to spin alarmingly.

Convinced something was wrong he returned with all haste to the schoolhouse to find the schoolboys in a panic and the air fouled with brimstone.

In a foolhardy show of bravado one of the boys had recited the Lords Prayer backwards and in doing so had summoned the Old Nick himself to the school.

Being a learned chap, Hodgeson knew that the only way to banish the devil would be to give him a task which he could not perform, yet if the devil could complete three tasks the price would be his soul.

First Hodgeson demanded that the devil count the blades of grass on the Castle Croft, within a moment the devil returns with the answer.

Getting more desperate he asks the devil to count the grains of sand on the school brow. Again the devil completes the task easily.

With only one chance remaining, the old schoolmaster thinks for a while and without panic, having worked for years with little devils in front of him, he asks the devil to count the letters in the Bible in the nearby Parish Church.

Knowing he is beaten, since he cannot enter the church, the devil lets out a roar and descends through the schoolroom floor back to hell, leaving a great crack in the hearthstone where he passed through.

Posted in Lancashire, The Devil

The Man They Couldn’t Hang – Babbacombe Lee

Posted on by Leave a comment

Babbicombe TragedyOn the morning of 15th November 1884, 68 year-old Emma Ann Whitehead Keyse was found dead at her home, “The Glen,” at Babbacombe Bay near Torquay by her servants who had been roused by the smell of smoke in the property.

According to the post mortem her skull was fractured in two places and her throat had been cut so severely that all the main arteries were severed and even the parietal bone was notched.

An attempt had also been made to burn the body and several rooms of the house. A strong odour of paraffin oil still evident on her clothes several hours later.

With no sign of forced entry into the house, John Lee, half-brother to the cook, Elizabeth Harris, and the only man known to be in the house at the time of the murder was soon arrested.

At his trial, the jury reached a unanimous guilty verdict.

Read more »

Posted in Victorian (1837AD - 1902AD), Crimes, Criminals, Devon

Beth Gelert; or, the Grave of the Greyhound

Posted on by Leave a comment

To the south of the villiage of Beddgelert in The Snowdonia National Park is a small stone monument marks the resting place of Gelert the faithful hound of the medieval Welsh Prince Llewelyn the Great.

Gelert

Gelert

The spearmen heard the bugle sound,
And cheerly smiled the morn;
And many a brach, and many a hound,
Obeyed Llewelyn’s horn.

And still he blew a louder blast,
And gave a lustier cheer:
‘Come, Gelert come, wer’t never last
Llewelyn’s horn to hear.

‘Oh where does faithful Gelert roam,
The flower of all his race;
So true, so brave, a lamb at home,
A lion in the chase?’

‘Twas only at Llewelyn’s board
The faithful Gelert fed;
He watched, he served, he cheered his lord,
And sentinelled his bed. Read more »

Posted in Animals, Caernarfonshire, Monuments, Songs and Poems

The Birth of Taliesin

Posted on by Leave a comment
Caridwen's Cauldron

Caridwen’s Cauldron

In times past there lived in Penllyn a man of gentle lineage, named Tegid Voel, and  his wife, Caridwen.  And there was born to him of his wife a son  the most ill-favoured man in the world, Avagddu.  Now Caridwen  thought that he was not likely to be admitted among men of noble birth, by reason of his ugliness, unless he had some exalted merits or knowledge.

So she resolved to boil a cauldron of Inspiration and Science for her son, that his reception might be honourable because of his knowledge of the mysteries of the future state of the world.

Then she began to boil the cauldron, which from the beginning of its boiling might not cease to boil for a year and a day, until three blessed drops were obtained of the grace of inspiration.

Read more »

Posted in Cardiganshire, Witchcraft and Magic

The Construction of Stonehenge

Posted on by Leave a comment

Situated on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, Stonehenge is probably the most iconic monument in the whole of Europe. The construction of this megalithic structure is thought to have been begun with the bank and ditch around 3000BC and there is evidence of several phases of construction over the next 1500 years.

The significance of the site may be much older as mesolithic postholes dated to circa 8000BC were found in the area now used for the visitor car park.

The origins of Stonehenge proper dates from around the time when early neolithic people started deforesting Salisbury Plain to make way for their farms. There is also a proliferation of long-barrow tombs in the area from this time.

Stonehenge

Stonehenge

The first stage of construction of the monument we see today was a bank and ditch 360ft (110m) in diameter. Recent excavation at Durrington Walls, thought to be a campsite for the builders suggests that around 4,000 people from all over the country gathered at the site at the mid-summer and mid-winter festivals.

Also dating from this time are the series of 56 pits (known as Aubrey holes) that form a circle within the outer edge of the enclosed area. Excavation of these holes revealed cremated remains and the chalk underlying these graves was crushed suggesting heavy stone grave markers.

Read more »

Posted in Prehistoric (before 43AD), Monuments, Wiltshire

A Glossary of Lancashire Dialect

Posted on by 9 comments

Glossary of Lancashire dialect.

by

George Hull.

 

Abeawt, about
Aboon, above
Afoor, before
An’, and
Appos, apples
As, ‘At, that
Aw, I
Aw’ll, I will
Aw s’, I shall
Aye, sure; yes, certainly

Bawls eawt, calls out
Beawn to, bound to, going to
Beawt, without
Bell-heawr, meal time
Bi theirsel’, by themselves, alone
Bin, been
Bobby, policeman
Bod, but, only
Booat, boat
Bowt, bought
Brass, money
Breet, bright
Brid, bird
Browt, brought
Broo, brow
Brooak, broke
Brunt, burnt
Bud, but, only

Campin’, chatting.
Canel, Canal
Catched, caught
Ceawrd, cowered
Chaff, banter
Chap, fellow
Cheer, chair
Childer, children
Chimbley, chimney
Chucked, thrown
Clam, starve
Cleawds, clouds
Cleynin’, cleaning
Clooas, clothes
Co, (1) call, (2) abuse
Codger (Cadger), fellow
Con, can
Connod, cannot
Cooat, coat
Cooartin‘, courting
Coom, came
Corn’d, cannot
Cosses, curses, curse
Cowd, cold
Crack, (1) an instant, (2) a joke or merry
anecdote
Craytur, creature
Creawded, crowded
Cronies, mates
Cut, canal

Dad, father
Daicent, decent
Deawn, down
Dee, die
Disate, deceit
Doesno’, does not, dost not
Dooin’, doing
Dorn’d, don’t
Dree, monotonous
Dreeam, dream
Drooav, drove
Dudn’d, did not
Dust, a warm discussion
Dule (Devil), smart fellow

Eawr, our
Eawt, out
E’e, eye; E’en, eyes
‘Em, them
Eyt, eat

Fauce (False), knowing, wise
Fayther, father
Fayver, fever
Feeard, afraid
Fella, fellow
Fleawr, (1) flour, (2) flower
Fo, fall
Foo’, fool
Fooak, folk
Footbo’, football
Forged, forget
Forrad, forward
Fost, first
Fotch, fetch
Fowd, fold, yard
Fowt, fought, toiled
Fun’, found

Ged, get;
Geddin, getting
Geet, got
Getten, gotten
Gill (Jill), in Lancashire, half-a pint
Gi’n, given
Gooa, go; Gooan, gone
Gowd, gold
Gradely, proper-ly, thorough-ly
Gred, great
Gronny, granny

Hafe, or Hofe, half
Hafe-timer (Half-timer), a child
who works during one half of each day and attends school the other half
Heaw, how
Heawr, hour
Heawse, house
Hed, had
He’d, (1) he had, (2) he would
Heeard, heard
Hes, has; Hev, have
Heyd, head
Hob, side of fireplace opposite oven
Hoo, she
Hooam, home
Hooarse, hoarse
Horts, hurts
Hoss, horse

I’, in
Id, it; Id’, its
Ill fooak, sick folks
Iv, if

Jannock, genuine
Jiffy, instant

Keer, care
Knowed, knew

Layrock, lark
Leeap, leap
Leet, light
Leet on, alight upon, discover
Lick, beat
Limber, lithe, active
Loce, loose
Looan, lane
Lots, plenty
Loysin’, losing

Mad, vexed
Maister, master
Mam, mother
Marlocks, practical jokes
Meawse, mouse
Meawths, mouths
Med, made; Mek, make
Meyt, meat
Mi, my; Misel’, myself
Mich, much
Mo, me
Mon, man
Mony, many
Mooast, most Moor, more
Moytherd, worried, troubled
Mun, must; Mut, might

Nau’but, naught but
Neaw, now
Neet, night
Nob’ry, nobody
Nod, not
Nod, a, a doze, a sleep
Nor, than
Nowe, no (the negative answer)
Nowt, nought
Noysy, nosy

O, all
O’, of, on
Oather, either
Olez, always
On, of
Ooak, oak
Oon, Oven
Oppen, open
Otogether, altogether
Ov, of
Owd, old
Owt, aught, anything, ought

Papper, paper, newspaper
Peawnd, pound
Peawrs, powers
Peearkt, perched
Pleecemon, policeman
Pon, pan
Poo’d, pulled
Pooarch, porch
Pratty, pretty
Preawd, proud

Quare, queer
Quate, quiet

Rayther, rather
Reawnd, round
Reet, Reight, right
Rowls, rolls
Ruffins (Ruffians), rough lads

Scoor, score
Seawnd, sound
Seawr, sour
Seeatbooard, the seatboard of
a handloom
Seet, sight; See ‘t, see it, saw it.
Seet off, started off
Set, sat
Sheawr, shower
Sheawted, shouted
Sheed, shed, let fall
Si, (1) see, (2) saw
Sich, such
Sin, seen; Sin’, since
Skeeam, scheme
Slutch, sludge
Smooky, smoky
Some’at, somewhat, something
Sooa, so; Sooart, sort
Sowd, sold
Sowjered, soldiered, served in the army
Sowl, soul
Speawtin’ (Spouting), speechmaking
Stannin’, standing
Sterted, started
Steylin’, stealing
Stooary, story
Stor thi stumps, stir thy feet
Swellin’, swelling, swaggering

T’, Th’, the
Ta, Tha, Thae, thou
Tay, tea
Teawn, town
Tekkin’, taking
Tentin’, attending to
Tenter, weaver’s assistant
Ter’ble, terrible, wonderful
Teyched, taught
Thad, that
Thae’rt, Tha’rt, thou art
Thacked, thatched
Theer, there
Theirsel’, themselves
They’n, they have
Thick, friendly
Thowt, thought
To’ard, To’art, toward
Took his hook, ran off
Towd, told
Toyler, toiler
Two-o’-thre’ (two or three), a few

Uns, ones

Varra, very
Voyce, voice

Wakken, waken
Watter, Wayter, water
Waur, were, was
Waurld, world
Weel, well
Welly, well nigh
We’n, we have
Wer, short sound of were; used in dialect for was, and occasionally for our
We s’, we shall
Weyvin’, weaving
Wheer, where
Whol, while
Wi’, with
Wi’nod, will not
Wi’ ‘t, with it
Wo, wall
Wod, (1) what, (2) would
Wodn’d, would not
Wooave, wove
Wo’st, worst
Wo’th, worth

Yar, our
Yed, head
Yer, Yore, your
Yo’n, you have
Posted in Lancashire, Spoken Word
« Older Entries Recent Entries »