Folklore, Myths and Legends of Britain

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By his own account, that was what happened to renowned climber, scientist and Fellow of the Royal Society, J Norman Collie, at the end of the 19th century. Years later, he recalled hearing slow, deliberate footsteps – one vast step for every three or four of his own – following him on the mountain. Atherton, Mark (2017). The making of England: a new history of the Anglo-Saxon world. London: Bloomsbury Academic. pp.53–58. ISBN 978-1-78672-154-9. OCLC 975999502. a b Assayed, Layān (2015). The Medieval Rhymes of Robin Hood: An Inquiry into Outlaw Territory (Thesis). University of Haifa. Blust, Robert (2000). "The Origin of Dragons". Anthropos. 95 (2): 519–536. JSTOR 40465957– via JSTOR. If this introductory look at Britain’s wealth of fascinating legends has inspired you, you can learn more about British folklore over at Mysterious Britain. If you come on an Oxford Royale Summer Schools course, you can also look forward to visiting some of Britain’s famous landmarks, such as mysterious Stonehenge on Salisbury Plain – said, in one tale, to have been constructed by none other than the magician Merlin of Arthurian legend…

Briggs, K. M. "Possible Mythological Motifs in English Folktales". Folklore 83, no. 4 (1972): 265–71. Retrieved June 18, 2020. JSTOR 1259424.Dragons are giant winged reptiles that breathe fire, poison and acid. They are usually associated with treasure rooms, waterfalls, and hollowed out tree stumps. Dragons are also present in Chinese, Egyptian, Mesoamerican and many other mythologies of the world. In the cultures of India, they are found in the mythologies and folklore of Jainism, Hinduism, and Buddhism. [21] Williams, Victoria (2017). Celebrating Life Customs around the World: From Baby Showers to Funerals: Adolescence and Early Adulthood. Vol.2: Adolescence and Early Adulthood". ABC-CLIO. pp.219–221. ISBN 978-1-4408-3659-6. As for English folktales, some such as Weber argue that they were passed down for the purpose of reflecting the grim realities of a child's life and hence instilled valued English morals and aesthetics. [17] Others such as Tatar would counter that these folktales' fantasies were so removed from reality that they were a form of escapism, imaginative expression, and linguistic appreciation. [18] Most folklorists would agree that the purpose of English folklore is to protect, entertain, and instruct on how to participate in a just and fair society. [19] Folktales [ edit ] Cunning folk was a term used to refer to male and female healers, magicians, conjurers, fortune-tellers, potion-makers, exorcists, or thieves. Such people were respected, feared and sometimes hunted for their breadth of knowledge which was suspected as supernatural. [46]

Opie, Iona; Tatem, Moira (1992). A Dictionary of Superstitions. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-172687-3. If there’s one legend that could be said to encapsulate the idea of Britain in ancient times, it has to be the legend of King Arthur. This most famous of British kings was said to have defended the country against Saxon invaders in the 5th and early 6th centuries, and he’s been the subject of numerous stories that have achieved mythical status in Britain. Everyone is familiar with the stories of King Arthur, his wife Guinevere and his Knights of the Round Table, in particular Lancelot, who fell in love with Guinevere and rescued her from the resulting threat of execution by Arthur, leading to war between Lancelot and Arthur. The Round Table is a powerful Arthurian symbol; it was given to Arthur by his father-in- law as a dowry, and it was said to be round to avoid squabbles between the knights over who was most important. Among the most famous tales is Arthur’s search for the Holy Grail – the cup that contained the blood of Christ (a story satirised in Monty Python and the Holy Grail). The magician Merlin is another key figure in the Arthurian legends; Merlin placed a sword in a stone and whomever was able to pull it out would be king. Only Arthur could do it. Standing stones are man-made stone structures made to stand up. Some small standing stones can also be arranged in groups to form miniliths. [42] Similar to these geological artefacts are hill figures. These are figures drawn into the countryside by digging into the ground and sometimes filling it in with a mineral of a contrasting colour. Examples are the Cerne Abbas Giant, the Uffington White Horse, and the Long Man of Wilmington and are the focus for folktales and beliefs. [43]a b Bailey, Michael D. (2 May 2013). Fearful Spirits, Reasoned Follies: The Boundaries of Superstition in Late Medieval Europe. Cornell University Press. pp.7–10. ISBN 978-0-8014-5144-7. On May Day, the first day of May, a tall, decorated pole is put up as a symbol of fertility called a maypole. The maypole represents a phallic object impregnating the earth at the end of spring to ensure a bountiful summer. The maypoles were decorated originally with flowers and carved from the branches of trees about to bloom to symbolise the birth of new life. Eventually the flowers were replaced with ribbons and May day became a day for celebration and dancing in which a May queen and sometimes a May king would be crowned to also symbolise fertility. [48] Chambers, Raymond Wilson (2010). Beowulf: An introduction to the study of the poem with a discussion of the stories of Offa and Finn. Project Gutenberg. ISBN 978-1-4655-1214-7. Beowulf is an anonymous Old English historical epic of 3182 lines which describes the adventures of its titular character, prince Beowulf of Geats. The story goes that Beowulf slays Grendel, a monster who has tormented the hall of Hrothgar King of the Danes for twelve years. Grendel's mother seeks to gain revenge and Beowulf slays her also, after which Beowulf becomes king of the Danes himself. After 50 years, Beowulf's people are tormented by a dragon and Beowulf dies while slaying her. [38] Original speculation was that Beowulf was a Scandinavian epic translated to English, theorised due to the story's Scandinavian settings. However, Beowulf was cemented as an Old English epic through the study that heroes of folklore are not ordinarily natives of the country they save. [39]

Weber, Eugen (1981). "Fairies and hard facts: The Reality of Folktales". Journal of the History of Ideas. 42 (1): 93–113. doi: 10.2307/2709419. JSTOR 2709419. Tatar, Maria (2010). "Why Fairy Tales Matter: The Performative and the Transformative". Western Folklore. 69: 55–64 – via ProQuest. A parish ale is a type of party in the parish usually held to fundraise money for a particular purpose. [49] Varner, Gary (2006). Mythic Forest, the Green Man and the Spirit of Nature: The Re-Emergence of the Spirit of Nature from Ancient Times into Modern Society. Algora Publishing. pp.5–10. ISBN 1-281-39562-5.

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Its folktales include the traditional Robin Hood tales and the Brythonic-inspired Arthurian legend, and their stories often contained a moral imperative stemming from Christian values. [3] The folktales, characters and creatures are often derived from aspects of English experience, such as topography, architecture, real people, or real events. [4] History [ edit ] King Guthrum being appointed as a Christian by King Alfred before becoming the ruler of East Anglia