Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Myths, Legends and Folklore
#1
In reading "The Witching Hour", I thought about the different myths, legends and folklore that must exist around the world.  I thought it would be great if we could share some of that on this forum.  I know writers who are interested in using some of these myths would probably do their own research on the subject but if we could provide some of that here, it would be a great start.  I don't mean to share myths that are invented by specific writers for a specific book, but legends that predate the book and that are used in them.  It would be interesting to also compare these myths, such as witchcraft, in different cultures.

Just as an example, when we lived in England, we frequented a pub in a village outside of Brighton called "Devil's Dyke".  There may be more than one version of how it got it's name, but the most popular one, and the one mentioned in the pub, is that the Devil was trying to dig a dyke through to the sea to destroy all the Christians in the area.  If he could do it before sunrise, the sea would flood the area.  But the good people of the village fooled him by coming together with all their torches and simulating a sunrise.  When he saw the light on the horizon, he had to admit defeat and fled.

Any thoughts?
Reply
#2
(12-29-2017, 10:58 PM)paigenumber Wrote: In reading "The Witching Hour", I thought about the different myths, legends and folklore that must exist around the world.  I thought it would be great if we could share some of that on this forum.  I know writers who are interested in using some of these myths would probably do their own research on the subject but if we could provide some of that here, it would be a great start.  I don't mean to share myths that are invented by specific writers for a specific book, but legends that predate the book and that are used in them.  It would be interesting to also compare these myths, such as witchcraft, in different cultures.

Just as an example, when we lived in England, we frequented a pub in a village outside of Brighton called "Devil's Dyke".  There may be more than one version of how it got it's name, but the most popular one, and the one mentioned in the pub, is that the Devil was trying to dig a dyke through to the sea to destroy all the Christians in the area.  If he could do it before sunrise, the sea would flood the area.  But the good people of the village fooled him by coming together with all their torches and simulating a sunrise.  When he saw the light on the horizon, he had to admit defeat and fled.

Any thoughts?

Great idea for a thread! One area of folklore that fascinates me is that of New England. For instance, the "Wood Devils" of northern New Hampshire and Vermont -- gaunt, grey-furred, two-legged creatures that hide behind trees and emit horrible shrieks.  There was also a witch-craze in Bristol, Connecticut in the early 1800s. 

As pertains to Gothics, a wonderful setting with built-in spook potential would be Smuttynose Island (New Hampshire), the site of sensational ax murders in the 19th Century.  There are many legends about this eerie place.
Reply
#3
So, who is familiar with these legends and could give us some background on how it came to be? We lived in New Hampshire briefly but did not know any of these legends existed.
Reply
#4
does sleepy hollow counts ?
Reply
#5
(05-20-2021, 07:14 AM)juggi bhui Wrote: does sleepy hollow counts ?

Sure, why not? Although the "headless horseman" legend was the invention of Washington Irving, who wrote the short story about Ichabod Crane.  He probably based it on old German folklore more than anything local at the time.
Reply


Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)