Fairy Rings.

Fairy rings are circles or arcs of fungi that seem to magically spring up overnight on the lawn, in a forest or on moorland; there is a lot of folklore and mythology connected to them from all over the world, some good and some bad but all fascinating.

It is generally thought that a fairy ring appears when a fairy, pixie, or elf is present, in European folklore they are the location of gateways into fairy kingdoms, and are places where elves gather and dance, such ideas date back to at least the early medieval period.

Welsh and Manx mythology removes dancing from the legend but states that a fairy ring will spring up over an underground fairy village. In Austria however, the rings were put down to the activity of flying dragons; legend has it that if a dragon created such a circle, nothing but toadstools would be able to grow in the spot for seven whole years.

Whatever culture tales of fairy rings come from, one factor is common throughout and that is that it is a dangerous thing for a mortal human to enter a fairy ring and many legends warn strictly against trying. It is an especially bad idea on May eve or Hallowe’en, should a human violate the ring he would anger the fairies and thus be cursed. A mortal who has entered the ring may become invisible to other mortals and never be seen again once back outside the ring, the fairies may also force the mortal to dance to the point of exhaustion or even death, that is if he didn’t go mad first.

According to legends, the only safe way to investigate a fairy ring is to run around it in the direction of the sun nine times under a full moon – eight times or ten times will not do. By doing this a mortal can hear the fairies dancing underground and no harm will come to him. The ring will slowly disappear without trace in less than a week, but if the mortal waits for an elf to return to the ring, he will be able to see it, although must never try to capture it.

King Tut's Tomb.

Yesterday, November 4th was the anniversary of the discovery of the entrance to King Tutankhamen's Tomb in 1922. It was one of the most important finds in Egyptian archaeology in recent times and Howard Carter's team gained fame and respect from many circles in education, artifacts and history.

Documented weird issues surround this event, most commonly the 'curse' that appears to have followed the members of the team who first opened the tomb, even when they returned home to other countries. Allegedly, a curse is cast upon any person who disturbs the mummy of a pharaoh, and there seems to be some truth in it...or a series of massive coincidences. Many of the party met a slightly suspicious end, the first of which was Lord Carnarvon who died just 6 weeks after the opening of the tomb, he had been bitten by a mosquito and accidentally cut the wound whilst shaving, he succumbed to an infection and died 2 weeks after.

There is lots of information on the web about these events, and they are well worth a read!

Hallowe'en!

For many of us, Halloween is as much of an event as Christmas. For me, the feelings this time of year conjure up are fantastic, legends and myths abound, and stories of the past beg to be read. I love the dark, moon, colder weather and fires, all of these together make autumn, and Halloween very special.

The commercial side of Halloween is not for me though, pumpkin carving, dressing up and trick or treating luckily passed me by when I was young, and now I see Halloween has become a money-making opportunity for shops as much as Valentine's Day. I will however be doing my own celebrating, remembering the 'proper' Samhain from my pagan roots and will be indulging in lovely wintry food tomorrow night.

Happy hauntings everyone.

Folklore of brooms.

With halloween approaching, the image of witches flying on brooms across the night sky will be a familiar one, but broom folklore is very interesting with many superstitions relating to them.
When moving into a new home, finding a broom was considered to be lucky, although one should never sweep towards the door of a new abode for fear of sweeping out the good luck. In days gone by, old brooms were never thrown away, but were burned or buried so as not to anger the hearth spirits.
Brooms were seen as an emblem of the home, and of womanhood, in England, joinings and celebrations were often marked by people jumping over a broom handle.
So love your broom, no home is complete without one...and they aren't just for witches!

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!