Mysterious Britain & Ireland

Category: Folktales

Folklore / Folktales / Scottish Folktales

Archibald Boyle and The Glasgow Hell Club

Archibald Boyle is said to have been the leader of ‘The Hell Club’ in Glasgow during the 18th century. There is a story associated with his death which has appeared in Catherine Ann Crowe’s ‘The Night-side of Nature’ (1848), and repeated again in ‘The Haunted Homes and Family Traditions of Great Britain’ by John Ingram (1897).

Black Dogs / English Folktales / Folklore / Folktales

Dob Park Lodge

The following story is taken from ‘The Haunted Homes and Family Traditions’ of Great Britain by John Ingram (1897. ‘On the southern slope of a picturesque valley, through which the Washburn pours its waters, stands the ruins of Dobb Park Lodge; a lofty, four-storied mansion of the Tudor period.

Fairies / Folklore / Folktales / Irish Fairies / Irish Folktales / Mermaids

Lough Neagh

The freshwater Lough Neagh covers an area of 151 square miles and is Northern Ireland’s largest lake. There are a few legends associated with Lough Neagh and its formation. The following account entitled ‘This is the Death of Eochaidh son of Mairid’ is from the Book of the Dun Cow, Translated by Standish Hayes O’Grad (1892).

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Dragons / Folklore / Folktales / Irish Folktales / Legends

Oilliphéist

In ‘Irish Myths and Legends’ by Ronan Coghlan, we are told that Oilliphéist, is an Irish word meaning ‘dragon’ or ‘great worm’, and that ‘a creature of this sort, hearing that Saint Patrick was coming to drive out its kind, cuts its way through the land, thus forming the River Shannon.’ The Shannon is 224 miles long and the is Ireland’s longe

Folklore / Folktales / Welsh Folktales

Canrig Bwt

A famous Welsh witch, who used to sleep under stone at Llanberis, in North Wales, was called Canrig Bwt, and her favourite dish at dinner- was children’s brains. A certain criminal who had received a death-sentence was given the alternative of attacking this frightful creature, his life to be spared should he succeed in destroying her.

Early Christianity / Folklore / Folktales / King Arthur / Legends / Welsh Folktales

St. Tydecho Stone

In the village of Llanymawddwy, there is an ancient church dedicated to St. Tydecho, thought to be the son of Anna Pendragon, King Arthur’s sister. Wirt Sykes in British Goblins (1881) gives the following tale of St. Tydecho and a blue stone. ‘There was a stone in the valley of Mowddwy, which did good service for the church. A certain St.

Folklore / Folktales / Welsh Folktales

Church of St David, Llanfaes

The Grade II listed Church of St David in Llanfaes dates from 1923-25. This church replaced an earlier one built in 1859. It has been suggested that this Victorian St David’s that was constructed by J Clayton, was built beside the remains of an earlier medieval church. The church at Llanfaes has been recorded as early as 1291 in the ‘Ecclesia de Lanmays’.

Ancient Sites / Early Christianity / Folklore / Folktales / Merlin / Welsh Folktales

Llech Lafar, St Davids

Llech Lafar, a speaking slab of marble by the River Alun is referred to by Wirt Sykes in his ‘British Goblins’ (1881). ‘The Talking Stone Llechlafar, or stone of loquacity, served as a bridge over the river Alyn, bounding the churchyard of St. David s in Pembrokeshire, on the northern side.