Forums: Folklore and Legends

One aspect of my current research has me collecting information on British traditions concerning wolves and werewolves from the areas of Northumberland and Cumbria, particularly, and also Scotland south of Edinburgh.  I’m currently trying to wade through the scant bits of information available to me and trying to track down the mysterious Welsh figure Gwrgi Garwllwyd, the rough-grey man-dog.&

Disclaimer: I do not wish this topic to become an issue for criticizing or poking fun at religion but just to gather popular traditions about kings and saints from the early days of post-Roman Britain up to the Conquest.

 I was wondering if anyone knew of any spirits creatures or legends concerning mirrors. I’ve read the few where cockatrices and dragons/wyrms were distracted with mirrors, and the legend of Bloody Mary (quite interesting, by the way), but I was interested if there was any sort of fairy or such like that actually lived in mirrors or travelled using them, summoned with them.

We recieved an e-mail about a local variation of the Hikey Sprite from Norfolk and have recieved permission to put it here, it is quite interesting as they are mostly described as benevolent in literature, whereas the one descibed here is not, Here it is: I have edited some detail:

Also known as Bergtruckung in Continental Europe, this is probably the most famous sleeping hero myth: a long-lost hero, be him a powerful king, a valiant warrior or a charismatic leader, who is not believed to be dead and buried but merely asleep and awaiting the right time to return among his people to save them from certain destruction or to lead them to greatness.

Hi

Mayday tomorrow, which traditionally marked the beginning of Summer. There are loads of traditions associated with this day including:

So, do vampires really exist ?
I dont mean those who live the lifestyle or the Vampyre sub-cultre, I mean true vampires.

I am researching at the moment and would like to write a book, but i want to do as much research as i can before that.
ive already found some fascinating stuff, and really want more.

Daniel’s post about the Red Caps as figures somehwat linked to foundation rituals made me remember a couple of other myths regarding the topic.
The first one is related to the founding of the famous monastery on the island of Iona, in the Hebrides.

just watched this BBC video report on a skull discovered in Italy that had a brick in her mouth – this might suggest that she was considered a vampire.

watch video clip

I’d never heard of putting a brick in the mouth of a corpse – has anyone else heard about this?