No, over the course of my MA in Medieval History, I've become very interested in 'historical folklore'. Problem is, the last people to study this academically were in the nineteenth century. Which speaks for itself as to how bad it was!
As I may well one day decide to take this further, I'm going to try an experiment. If people visiting this site, and reading this page, know of any stories from the past, either about the area they're from, or know about somewhere else, can they please stick them in the comments section below? It would be very much appreciated!
I'll give an example for starters. Where I'm from, I remember hearing stories when I was younger about there being secret tunnels from the Old Town up to another part of town, which had been dug for Henry VIII to visit Anne Boleyn. when they were both in the area.
Turns out this is actually a very common legend, but usually to do with monks and black magic. They appear to have originated in the sixteenth century, when Henry's agents spread them to discredit monks in the run up to the Dissolution of the Monasteries; however, my version has been skewed because the town claims that Henry VIII gave it a market charter, so they appear to have gotten mixed up.
So yeah, anything like that! Historical folklore, stories, legends, rumours, modern, medieval, ancient; you name it, I'd like to hear it!
Just... keep it relatively normal, ok?!
Kieran, great idea! Let's make a database - I'll spreadsheet it, and Dr. Pickles can use our tabulations to compose a map!
ReplyDeleteOr I could actually be helpful and give you what you initially asked for.
Okay, well my home town, Ormskirk (note the lovely Old Norse/Gaelic components!), has an origin myth of sorts. Apparently Ormr, the assumed Viking - though more likely a later Anglo-Saxon - who established the town had two sisters (or in some stories daughters). Now when he came to build the Church (his kirkja) they couldn't decide whether it should have a tower or a steeple. In the end the obviously henpecked younger brother built the Church with both.
As you can see in the hefty image link below the Church does indeed have both, and is one of only three in the country with this.
The story is a load of bollocks admittedly, the Church originally (i.e. when it was finally built in stone) had a steeple - the tower dates to the reformation and was built to house the bells of Burscough Priory after Henry VIII (another man with women troubles) dissolved the monasteries. Not as glamorous as marauding (yet somehow henpecked!?!) Vikings, but interesting none the less.
Hope this helps. I have more which I will happily share when I have more time.
(Aforementioned link)
http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?um=1&hl=en&client=firefox-a&sa=N&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&biw=1280&bih=707&tbm=isch&tbnid=pQ1z5QX3JRX3CM:&imgrefurl=http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/environment/photographs/villages/gallery3/index.asp&docid=m1OaEwYNgWeHKM&imgurl=http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/environment/photographs/villages/gallery3/images/127Ormskirk_Church150_jpg.jpg&w=819&h=820&ei=jANaUIGaHorD0QWhgIGACA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=187&vpy=179&dur=1159&hovh=225&hovw=224&tx=175&ty=108&sig=106891704838452516777&page=1&tbnh=152&tbnw=157&start=0&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0,i:87