Mysterious Britain & Ireland

Category: Folklore

Folklore / Folktales / Welsh Folktales

Canrig Bwt

A famous Welsh witch, who used to sleep under stone at Llanberis, in North Wales, was called Canrig Bwt, and her favourite dish at dinner- was children’s brains. A certain criminal who had received a death-sentence was given the alternative of attacking this frightful creature, his life to be spared should he succeed in destroying her.

Early Christianity / Folklore / Folktales / King Arthur / Legends / Welsh Folktales

St. Tydecho Stone

In the village of Llanymawddwy, there is an ancient church dedicated to St. Tydecho, thought to be the son of Anna Pendragon, King Arthur’s sister. Wirt Sykes in British Goblins (1881) gives the following tale of St. Tydecho and a blue stone. ‘There was a stone in the valley of Mowddwy, which did good service for the church. A certain St.

Folklore / Folktales / Welsh Folktales

Church of St David, Llanfaes

The Grade II listed Church of St David in Llanfaes dates from 1923-25. This church replaced an earlier one built in 1859. It has been suggested that this Victorian St David’s that was constructed by J Clayton, was built beside the remains of an earlier medieval church. The church at Llanfaes has been recorded as early as 1291 in the ‘Ecclesia de Lanmays’.

Ancient Sites / Early Christianity / Folklore / Folktales / Merlin / Welsh Folktales

Llech Lafar, St Davids

Llech Lafar, a speaking slab of marble by the River Alun is referred to by Wirt Sykes in his ‘British Goblins’ (1881). ‘The Talking Stone Llechlafar, or stone of loquacity, served as a bridge over the river Alyn, bounding the churchyard of St. David s in Pembrokeshire, on the northern side.

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Anniversary Ghosts / Apparitions / Black Dogs / Book Review / Folklore / Ghost Stories / Haunted Hotels / Haunted Pubs / Hauntings / Occult / Poltergiests / Review / Road Ghosts / UFO Sightings / UFOs

Haunted Lambeth by James Clark

Written by fellow ASSAP (Association for the Scientific Study of Anomalous Phenomena) member, James Clark, Haunted Lambeth features a collection of paranormal tales including poltergeists, apparitions, black dogs and other unexplained phenomena.

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Folklore / Folktales / Irish Folktales / Legends

Dord Fiann

The Dord Fiann is the mythical hunting horn of Fionn mac Cumhail.  A dord is a large Irish bronze horn.  They date from the Bronze Age.

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Ancient Sites / Articles / Articles / Celtic Pantheons / Early Christianity / Folklore / Pantheons

Medieval Heretics and the Green Man

There is a general acceptance that the Green Man is a representation of a pagan deity, but this is not borne out by the abundance of Green Man carvings to be found on or within Christian churches. Could this contradiction be the clue that will lead to our understanding of this archaic figure? Why do we find the Green Many associated with churches?

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Ancient Sites / Articles / Burial Mounds / English Fairies / Fairies / Folklore / Irish Fairies / Scottish Fairies / Welsh Fairies

The Undreamed Region: Barrows In Folklore & Archaeology

Hills, mounds and burial sites. Places which have a timeless allure. Such places can be seen and regarded as mythically liminal, a place that it is not a place. A place outside of time. A place where the living freely walk with the dead. Barrows are just such places.

Fairies / Folklore / Scottish Fairies

Fairies Of St Fillans (2005)

In November 2005 a housing developer was prevented from moving a rock as the local population of St Fillans claimed it would kill the fairies living under it. The following article entitled ‘ Fairies stop developers’ bulldozers in their tracks’ was published in The Times on 21 November 2005.