Latest Posts — Folklore

As to the searching beneath ancient monuments for treasure there was a story that years ago when search was made near the large stone just above Catchall for a crock of gold, the stone groaned fearfully and the pit was filled with blood.

My grandfather James Carroll who lives in Spa Boyle told me the following story about the Druids altar. There is a Druids altar in Tinnecara to the north side of the railway in Thomas Ballintinels land. The altar is made of three large stones two uprights and one over head. Each stone weighs about ten tons weight. The druids used to come home from Knockadoo and swim across Lough Gara to worship their god at this altar.

There is another stone circle on "Brewel Hill" known as "The Piper's Stones.
The tradition about these stones is A lot of maidens were tempted to dance on an holy day, while a piper played for them. Like a flash of lightening they were all changed into stones.

There is a standing stone in Cryhelp about three miles west of Dunlavin. It has a hole in the top of it about nine inches long and four inches wide. There is an old tradition about it, that it was not aways in that place, it was moved to mark the grave of Harold, chief prince who was killed in the battle of Glen Mama.
The corner of the field in which the Cryhelp stone is standing is said to have been a cemetery a long time ago, covered with trees. Near at hand is a nettle-covered hollow, which was at one time opened; there is an underground passage leading to a mound not far away. It is not said that this hole was used to cure anything.

This rock is probably over 300 tons in weight and is in a field beside Killenduff National School. It is split in two as if it were hewn by a saw. This is the tradition connected with it:-
Ages ago two fierce giants lived on the Ox Mountains. They argued about their respective strengths and what they could do. They agreed to put the argument to a test by throwning a stone. They selected two large stones of similar size, several tons in weight. The idea was to see who could throw the stone from the Ox Mountains to the sea, five miles distant.
The first took up the stone, flung it, and it fell into the sea. The second took his throw and it fell about half a mile from the sea in its present position. The second giant's rage was so great seeing that he had failed in his attempt that he seized his sword, ran towards the rock and with one fierce cut, split it in two.

The tradition says that any body who walks through the Rock three times shall surely meet their doom. I have never heard of any body to go through it three times.

The floor of the chamber is covered with a deposit of mud. The tomb is locally considered to be a holy well and offerings of coins, some quite recent, medals, broken glass, etc., lie on the lower roofstone. The interior of the chamber is littered with broken glass.

On the lower declivity of Warton Crag, in the parish of Warton (which abuts on Morecambe Bay and the Westmorland border), commanding a beautiful and extended prospect of the bay, a seat called "The Bride's Chair" was resorted to on the day of marriage by the brides of the village; and in this seat they were enthroned with due solemnity by their friends; but the origin and the object of the custom, which has now fallen in disuse, are unknown.

Not far from Warton Crag are three rocking-stones placed in a line, about forty feet asunder, the largest stone lying in the middle.

A cave is also mentioned by Lucas, named "The Fairy Hole", where dwarf spirits called Elves or Fairies, were wont to resort.

It is traditionally supposed that beneath the surface of this camp vast stores of gold and silver are hid in an iron castle, the door of which is guarded by spirits and can only be found at the full moon.

It is stated that many years ago some labourers dug there with the hope of finding the treasure, but were obliged to desist because of the mournful sounds they heard, caused no doubt, by the howling of the wind among the trees.

A story is also told of a Dr Farrer, who lived in the parish and was learned in books and who found out from them how to get into the castle. The day before the full moon he went over the field with a hazel rod, and when he came over the door, the stick stood upright in the ground. The doctor returned at night with his servant and tools for digging and also took his bible with him. He set his servant to work, giving him particular instruction that whatever he saw or heard he was not to utter a word for his life.

The man went on digging, and at last his spade struck on the iron door of the castle, when horrible groans and cries were heard, and spirits began to come out of the door. The man was so frightened that he forgot his master's instructions, and cried out "Lord, have mercy on my soul," when one of the spirits caught him by the leg and would have carried him off, but the doctor put the bible on his head and dragged him out with the other hand.

The pit was closed up, the door banged together, and its position was changed so that no one has been able to find it since.
ETNE.

There is a story told locally of two men, who, many years ago, lived on the Quantock Hills. One day, finding themselves in financial difficulty and not knowing where to obtain any money, they decided to go over to Ruborough Camp, Broomfield, to try to discover some of the money and treasure supposed to have been buried there. As soon as it was night-time they left their homes and with picks and shovels on their backs, proceeded on their way. As they entered the tree-covered lane leading to the camp, they walked with caution in case they disturbed the stags and foxes resting there, but all was well and at last they reached the Camp.

It was a clear moonlit night and no doubt they could see the old castle at Enmore and further away the town of Bridgwater. They found the mound of earth where money and treasure were supposed to have been buried and after removing their coats, started to dig. Suddenly the ground gave away from beneath them and they disappeared.

After some hours had elapsed their relatives at home became alarmed at their not returning and decided to go to look for them. On reaching the old Camp they discovered to their amazement two coats beside a very large hole, but there was no sign of the two men. Being superstitious people they hastily returned to their homes saying that the pixies had captured the two men, who were never seen again.

This story may not be true, but it was told to me by old people living in the district years ago.
A.H., BRIDGWATER.

Reporter lays the Sheffield "ghost"!
Early to-day I learnt the truth about the Wincobank ghost - there isn't one! All the "ghost's" visitations, beginning eight weeks ago with "a white form standing rigid under a gas lamp," can be accounted for. The "apparitions," like the figure under the gas-lamp, are now declared to have been really live persons ignorant of the scare they were creating.

[...] The "ghost" that disappeared from the top of a banking or ridge on Newman road was undoubtedly a man who had been collecting some white flowers from a garden and had tripped on the banking and fallen backwards. There is not the slightest doubt that a man did fall in this manner at the same place where the "ghost" was seen, and at the same time, and some time later this same man was helped home by a friend. I talked this morning with some of the searchers, who were of the opinion that mysterious "objects" which they had seen were nothing more than the result of white smoke from a smoldering garden fire shimmering against the background of the trees.

[...] But Wincobank is a place with a history, and there are some who will never allow their "ghost" to escape them. If you talk to some of the oldest residents you will hear tales of the old Roman settlement and the ghosts of Roman soldiers which march up and down, and of ghosts of more recent days which are connected with old Wincobank Hall, which is said to have been full of secret passages and panels.