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Willy Howe

Artificial Mound

Folklore

There is an artificial mount, by the side of the road leading from North Burton to Wold Newton, near Bridlington, in Yorkshire, called "Willy-howe," much exceeding in size the generality of our "hows," of which I have often heard the most preposterous stories related.

A cavity or division on the summit is pointed out as owing its origin to the following circumstance:-

A person having intimation of a large chest of gold being buried therein, dug away the earth until it appeared in sight; he then had a train of horses, extending upwards of a quarter of a mile, attached to it by strong iron traces; by these means he was just on the point of accomplishing his purpose, when he exclaimed--

"Hop Perry, prow Mark,
Whether God's will or not, we'll have this ark."

He, however, had no sooner pronounced this awful blasphemy, than all the traces broke, and the chest sunk still deeper in the hill, where it yet remains, all his future efforts to obtain it being in vain.
p92 in: The every-day book and table-book; or, Everlasting calendar of popular amusements. By William Hone, 1837, and now online at Google Books.
Rhiannon Posted by Rhiannon
19th March 2007ce

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