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 Many tales can be found of Witches and Wizards across Britain, whether they were truly evil or maybe misunderstood we will never know for sure. There are also tales that seem to relate to pre-christian rites and early forms of magic. Abbotsbury, Devon An ancient custom thought to be the survival of pagan sea-god worship was observed until the 1900’s. On May 13, the fishermen’s families would create large garlands of flowers on wooden frames – one for each boat and then garlands would be carried around the town to be blessed. Abbot’s Bromley, Staffordshire The Hunter’s Horn Dance which takes place on the first Sunday after September 4th is unique in Europe. The dance or “running” is enacted by six Deermen three of whom carry white wooden replicas of reindeer heads with real horns attached and three are black. It is believed the ceremony may pre-date Christianity, the presence of Maid Marion, a man dressed as a woman, suggests the memory of an ancient fertility rite while the battle between white and black Deermen was once probably to symbolise the light and darkness or summer and winter. The most ancient part of the ceremony is when the Bowman pretends to stalk the Deermen, firing imaginary arrows at them. Twenty three thousand years ago, Stone Age artists depicted a similar ritual on the walls of their caves in France. Alderley Edge, Cheshire In the wood in this sheer sandstone cliff rising from the Cheshire plain is a wishing well formed by a natural spring and is inscribed “Drink of this and take thy fill, For the water falls by the wizard’s will.” The wizard who is said to live there was Merlin. In the cavern beyond the well lies King Arthur and his knights waiting for when England needs them again. Appleton, Cheshire A vestige of ancient mid-summer rites still survives in this Cheshire village. The custom of Bawming the Thorn took place at the centre of a village fete with stalls and sideshows. “Bawming” means anointing or adorning it with ribbons or garlands and children would dance around the thorn after decorating it in early July. Recently the thorn (which was taken from a sprig from the Glastonbury Thorn) has had railings built around it and the custom no longer takes place due to rowdiness. Belvior Castle, Leicestershire Three witches were in the service of the Earl and Countess of Rutland at Belvior Castle. Their leader was Joan Flower and the others were her daughters Margaret and Phillipa. Joan claimed to work magic with the aid of the devil and her favourite cat, Rutterkin. She publically cursed the earl after Margaret was dismissed for pilfering. Within a year the Earl’s two sons were dead and Joan and her fellow witches were arrested and hung in March 1618. Bideford, Devon The town was home to Temperence Lloyd, a notorious witch who with two companions was convicted of sorcery in 1682. Temperence had a long-standing reputation for malevolence, since she had been tried and acquitted twice before. On her final trial Temperence treated the proceedings with scorn, eating nonchalantly all the way to the gallows. Bilston, Staffordshire An evil spirit once haunted a Bilston coal mine in the late 18th Century, so trouble were the miners that they called a local exorcist called “White Rabbit”. He made magical signs over them and told them to visit the pit at midnight. Their leader should carry a Bible in his right hand and a key in his left. At midnight the miners did as they were told but when confronted by the spirit, the miners panicked and realised the leader didn’t have the bible in the right hand. They shouted at him to swap hands and the apparition promptly vanished leaving the smell of Brimstone. Braunston, Rutland A 200 year old stone carving of a celtic earth mother stands outside Braunston Church, close to the north wall. It is thought to represent a goddess who was worshipped in primitive fertility rites which tool place on the site in pre-christian times. Canewdon, Essex George Pickergill, the last known Master Witch died in 1909, he was known for extorting beer money from farmers by threatening to stop their machinery with magic. A headless witch occasionally materialises near the church and drifts down to the river. Anyone who meets her is whirled into the air and deposited into the nearest ditch. Carhampton, Somerset For hundreds of years the ancient rite of Wassailing the Apple Trees has been observed on Old Twelfth Night (January 17). Cider is poured on the roots of the finest tree and wassail cake is placed on the branches. These are offerings made to the tree spirits and elementals to provide a fruitful harvest. Finally shotguns or loud noises occur to drive away evil spirits which may be lurking.. Carn Brea, Cornwall The Midsummer bonfire ceremony, performed on June 23 was a pagan festival long before the Christian Church bastardised it as the Eve of St John. At Carn Brea in Cornwall a fire would be kindled on the granite tor lying between Camborne and Redruth and this would signal other fires to be lit at Sennen, Sancreed Beacon, Carn Galver to the Tamar. Each fire was blessed by a clergyman (would have been originally a “cunningman”) and when only the embers remain, young people leap across them to drive away evil and bring luck. At St Cleer, the fire is still crowned with a broomstick and a sickle with a newly cut oak handle is thrown in to the flames to endure fertility of crops and men. Cliviger Gorge, Lancashire The Eagle’s Crag near Burnley is traditionally the site of a witch’s grave. Lord William Towneley is said to have buried his wife, Lady Sybil there. Lady Sybil was known to dabble in the Black Arts and used to run about in the shape of a white doe or cat. She rejected Lord William’s advances until he asked another witch to help. He was told to hunt the doe on the crag at All Hallows (November 1) When he did, a magical dog helped him trap the doe. Using an enchanted silken rope, he tied the doe, which changed back to Lady Sybil. She agreed to reject sorcery and marry him. But she would not mend her ways and wasted away after having a hand chopped off at Cliviger mill while causing mischief in the shape of a cat. Since her death, the legend says, doe, hound and huntsman have hunted the crag as darkness falls on Hallowe’en. Coldharbour, Surrey Relics of old water worship can be found in a wood near Coldharbour. Maggs Well is long regarded as having healing properties but it is important to leave an offering (a coin) before wishing. Ditchling, Sussex A letter published in the Sussex County Magazine in 1935 described how a witch in the Ditchling area could immoblise farm carts. One day a carter detected the witch by cutting notches in the spokes of a wheel. Yells came from a nearby cottage and an old woman rushed out, blood pouring from as many cuts on her fingers as there were notches in the spokes. The Dorset Ooser Once, every Dorset village may have had an Ooser, a man wearing a horned mask who would have officiated pagan fertility rituals. By the 19th Century the Ooser’s origins and meanings had been forgotten, with the village of Shillingstone calling it the “Christmas Bull”. Farnham, Surrey Old Mother Ludlam a local white witch lived in the caves. People would go to the cave at midnight and beg “Good Mother Ludlam, lend me (whatever they needed) and I will return it within two days”. The article they required would appear the next day before the cave. Oneday however some failed to return her cauldron and she refused to lend anything again. Her cauldron can still be seen in Frensham Church. |
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