The vanishing hound of Aylesbury.

This account dates from before the 20th century. For many nights in a row, a farmer walking to milk his cows early in the morning, came across a large, black dog which blocked his path. Gradually he became annoyed with having to walk around the dog and hit the creature which instantly vanished...the man however was said to be paralysed from that moment, never to speak or move again.

The horse-dog of Clackmannanshire.

Last reported as recently as 1997, and before that 1975, this entity is a strange one. Described by witnesses as a horse with the legs of a dog, this creature is seen around the woods in daylight hours, vanishing very quickly once spotted.

Fortean evening ahead.

Tonight is Fortean Times night in my house, it arrived yesterday, and I should have time to read it through later, always fascinating!

Jack the Ripper identity revealed?

We love the whole Jack the Ripper thing - articles, books, documentaries and fantasy based on facts, so when the story broke that the killer's identity had been discovered using DNA evidence, we had to have a look. The piece in the Independent newspaper told of an author and a scientist who claim to have found out who 'Jack' really was beyond doubt, however on reading the article we (and clearly the writer of said column) thought...nah!

See it for yourself HERE and make up your own minds :)

Black dog of Luskentyre - Outer Hebridies.

Reported in recent times, a hound is said to leave large paw prints on the wet sand of the beach at Luskentyre which disappear half way across, no dog is seen.

Weekend of storytelling.

We were lucky enough to be able to attend the wonderful Festival at the Edge again this year, a whole weekend of storytelling including lots of folklore and fable. I wish there were more events such as this, it is such a simple thing but so important, storytelling goes back through the ages as a method of keeping tales alive and engaging people as a group, well done again FatE.

Domovik Folklore - protective spirits.

The domovik is a protective spirit or that can be found in Slavic and Russian folklore (known as domovoi in Russia), it takes the form of a small old man with a distinctive grey beard who lives behind or under the stove, every Russian home is said to have a resident domovik spirit.

Referred to as ‘the Grandfather’ or just ‘He’ but never by a personal name, the spirit is said to be that of the ancestor who originally founded the family, he moves with them from house to house, when the family moves home, embers from the fire in the old stove are carried to the new one where it is lit to welcome the domovik into his new place of residence. 

It is believed that the domovik will watch over the family, guard the house and protect them against evil spirits or misfortune and will even help out with odd jobs or chores at night when the family are asleep, much like the Brownie house spirits of Scottish folklore, like Brownies, the domovik is also said to be pleased by gifts of food left for him, especially dairy items. 

If the family do something to offend or displease the domovik, he can turn quite mischievous, doing things like moving objects, hiding things and upsetting furniture.  If offended very badly, he may burn the house down, therefore breaking his ties with the family.

The belief in domovik spirits is one that has survived to modern times and much respect is still given to them in many modern homes today, allowances are made for the domovik’s activity and great care is taken to keep them happy.