Mysterious Britain & Ireland

Forums: Folklore and Legends

North Doors?

North Doors?

Hi,

Curious legend about north doors in (old) churches, as door for banishing ‘Devil’. Since so many parish churches contain this doorway – many bricked up today – does anyone know if the early Church was actually following a laid down ‘rubric’ for setting up a church with a ritual north door please?

Thanks,

Ric

MLitt Scottish Folklore, University of Glasgow Dumfries Campus

MLitt Scottish Folklore, University of Glasgow Dumfries Campus

Applications are now being taken for prospective students on a taught postgraduate degree in Scottish Folklore at the University of Glasgow’s campus in Dumfries (southwest Scotland). The MLitt Scottish Folklore focuses on the folklore and ethnology of lowland and highland, urban and rural, historical past and present day Scotland at both a local and international level.

Ladders

Ladders

The superstition of not walking under a ladder seems to be quite widespread – I always thought it was just common sense to stop someone dropping something on your head.

Church folklore: petal rosettes

Church folklore: petal rosettes

Hi,

can anyone tell me about these or where others might be found please?

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p32/r_i_c_2007/oldchurchrosette.jpg

they are sometimes found in old churches and i have seen an example in Wiltshire

thanks

Ric

British Fairies

British Fairies

What would you consider to be the most prominent locations in Britain associated with fairies?

Bull-Beggar Traditions in Virginia

Bull-Beggar Traditions in Virginia

It’s not really British, but definitely has relevance to a British tale, for those of you who think about the transfer of folk stories with immigrants.  There’s also a town in Pennsylvania where the population (mainly Irish) have traditions about pookas and banshees: