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England
Torberry HillHillfort
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The fort on Torberry Hill is spoon-shaped. The reason why? The Devil scalded his lips sipping hot punch from his 'Devil's Punchbowl' and pettishly threw his spoon away, it landing heavily here. The gold purejoy mentions was buried by Royalists. They obviously buried their treasure to avoid it being stolen by riff-raff: you need a golden plough to dig it up. Local rhymes are "Who knows what Tarberry would bear, Would plough it with a golden share." and "He who would find what Tarberry would bear, Must plough it with a golden share." And as purejoy suggests, Torberry is indeed a haunt of the fairies. In fact you can still see their bed. Well, actually the Fairy Bed is the cross-shaped base of a post-medieval mill. But that's just dull. From David Staveley's Sussex Hillforts http://www.homeusers.prestel.co.uk/aspen/sussex/hillfort.html#main# and the Scheduled Monument record on Magic.gov.uk, also Sussex Local Legends Jacqueline Simpson Folklore, Vol. 84, No. 3. (Autumn, 1973), pp. 206-223. The midsummer dancing by the fairies is (according to Simpson, above) mentioned by H D Gordon, in 'The History of Harting' (1877) p19. |
Posted by Rhiannon2nd March 2005ce Edited 18th December 2006ce |
| It was believed that the fairies would dance on this hill at midnight on Midsummer Eve. Gold was supposed to be hidden underground. Little trace apparently remains of the Iron Age hillfort on the summit. |
Posted by pure joy21st March 2003ce |
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