Fabulous Folklore: Foxgloves

I absolutely ADORE foxgloves (Digitalis purpurea), especially when I see them in the wild. They are one of those really fascinating plants with lots of interesting folklore.

One of the best things about foxgloves is the HUGE amount of local and regional names given to them. In this way they remind me of another magickal thing: wood lice ~ aka cheesy bugs / chiggy wig / granther giggles / grammer zow!

Foxgloves are also known as goblin gloves, witches’ gloves, dead men’s bells, fox fingers, flopdock, cowflop, bunny rabbits, fairy petticoats and fairyweed. 

Have you heard of these names? In what country and region are you in? What do YOU call them?

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: The Tulip Piskies
NEXT - A History: Midsummer Day (24th June)
NEXT - Natural Remedies: 6 Ways With Lavender Essential Oil
NEXT - Simple Magick: Power Flow for August

Fabulous Folklore: The Knockers of Cornwall

Beneath the sacred lands of Cornwall and Devon are said to be small, gnome-like creatures called Knockers. They are said to wear mining outfits, stand at roughly 2ft tall, and commit all kinds of mischief - namely stealing miners’ food.

It is said that miners’ wives would mark their husbands’ pasties with their initials, not just for identification, but for the Knockers to be able to credit the miner for giving them food. For those who don’t know what a pasty is, it’s a savoury, shortcrust, semi-circular pie traditionally filled with beef, potato and vegetables and associated mainly with the West Country. They are available all over the U.K. and come with a variety of fillings.

The Knockers got their name from the rapping and knocking noises heard by the miners. The Knockers were not viewed as negative - it was believed that they led the miners towards areas that were rich with minerals. It was also believed that the presence of Knockers meant safety; so staying on the good side of the Knockers was imperative. The miners would do this in a number of ways, including making the offering of their last bit of pasty to the Knockers by casting it into the mine.

I suspect the Doozers in the TV series Fraggle Rock were inspired by the legend of Knockers as St Anthony Lighthouse in Cornwall was the setting. My late Father-in-Law also called the house he built in Cornwall “Fraggle Rock” so as a family we have a particular love for this show and all things related.

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Cornish Piskies

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Elves

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: The Hurlers on Bodmin Moor

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: The Tomte

Recipe: Wren's Faery Berry Jam

As there are so many connections between faeries, elderberries and blackberries, I named this jam Wren's Faery Berry Jam.

WREN'S FAERY BERRY JAM

Ingredients:
800g Blackberries

200g Elderberries

1kg Jam Sugar (has added pectin)

2 Lemons, juiced

Butter, small nob (optional)

Method:

1. Put a saucer in the freezer.

2. Combine the sugar, lemon juice, and berries.

3. Heat on a low heat, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved.

4. Turn the heat up and cook on a rolling boil for ten minutes, being sure to stir, so that no fruit burns or sticks to the pan. Skim off any scum.

5. Put a small blob of the mixture on the saucer, and leave aside for a minute. 

6. Push the mixture with your finger - if it wrinkles the mixture is ready.

7. If it doesn’t wrinkle, cook for another 5 minutes and then try again. Keep trying until it’s ready.

8. When the mixture is ready, stir in the butter to dissolve any scum. (I personally don’t bother).

9. Pour into sterilised jars, top with a waxed disc, and add the lid. Do this when hot.

10. Store in a cool, dark place. 

NEXT - Recipe: Elderberry Vinegar
NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Blackberry
NEXT - Review: Witchology Magazine - Mabon 2020 Issue
NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Foxgloves 

Fabulous Folklore: The Tulip Piskies

Somewhere along the River Tavy on Dartmoor, a sweet and kindly old lady lived in a beautiful little cottage, surrounded by flowers. She had lavender and hollyhocks, rosemary and mullein. Forget-me-nots and lilies, sunflowers and tulips. She worked hard to create a beautiful garden that bloomed all year round; it was her pride and joy. She was proud of the tulips, especially the red ones.

This sanctuary extended beyond her garden. She lived next to a green meadow which was covered by piskie rings. The locals held the rings as caused by piskie-led ponies being driven round in circles in the dead of night. But the old lady knew differently.

One night the lady was woken by a sweet tune drifting in through her window. She lay there for a few minutes before realising the tune was a lullaby. She sat up in her bed and cast her gaze out of her window - her prized tulips were shimmering and waving in the moonlight to the gentle tune. As she woke properly from her slumber and her ear sharpened, she realised the tulips were gently singing along to the tune.

This continued for a number of nights, and the old lady, tuned in to the ways of the world, realised what was happening. The piskies were bringing their babies to the tulips, laying each precious baby within a tulip flower. The tulip nannies gently rocked and sang the piskie babies to sleep, while the adult piskies danced their merry dance until the break of dawn. No ponies were needed to make the rings; the piskies made them all by themselves.

The piskies loved the land surrounding the cottage, and they loved the old lady. They never forgot her kindness. Her tulips lived longer than those of the other villagers. They smelt a little bit sweeter, and shone a little bit brighter.

Sadly, in time, the old lady died. The old man that moved into the cottage did not care for flowers or tulips or pretty things; he wished only to grow vegetables for himself. He built a fence to keep animals and birds out the garden. The piskies saw to it that nothing would flourish and grow ever again; and the whole garden soon became barren and empty, much like the old man’s heart.

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Toads in Witchcraft

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Oak Apple Day

Fabulous Folklore: Primroses

The name primrose comes from the Latin “prima rosa” meaning “first rose”, indicating that spring is generally the time for these beautiful plants to flower, although they sometimes open as early as December in mild areas of the U.K.

They’re found across the whole of Britain and Ireland. They are found in woodlands and by hedgerows and thrive in damp shade. 

There are lots of primrose recipes, but it’s illegal to pick or remove them as they’re currently protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

Folklore surrounding primroses is mainly associated with faeries, and with life cut short.

Hanging primrose flowers outside your house is an invitation to faeries to come in, and touching a rock with a posy of primroses is a key; supposedly opening the doorway to the faerie realms. To receive a blessing from the faeries, primroses should be placed upon the doorstep, and at Beltane primroses and yellow gorse were often lain across the threshold to celebrate the spring and the encroaching summer. That said, as much energy has been spent trying to protect against faeries over the years as attracting them. In the National Folklore Collection in University College, Dublin, there can be found a piece of verse relating to Beltane and faeries:

“Guard the house with a string of primroses on the first three days of May. The fairies are said not to be able to pass over or under this string.”

In Victorian times it was common to plant primroses on the graves of children. There are definitely primroses dotted about on this cemetery, but I’m not sure if they correspond.

There are other customs related to death and primroses, meaning they provoke a similar feeling to blossom for me: they are representative of the ephemeral nature of life.

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Lesser Celandine

Fabulous Folklore: Cornish Piskies

This picture is a photograph of part of a painting at the Museum of Witchcraft & Magic in Boscastle, Cornwall. It was probably painted in the 1960s, and features a group of Cornish piskies.

It gives us a visual glimpse into the nature of Piskies. They are small, merry, unexpected, mischievous, playful, ageless, mythical creatures - often associated with death. They are found on moorland areas of Devon and Cornwall, and around ancient sites such stone circles, barrows and dolmen. They are considered “in between” - neither cursed nor blessed.

Their name changes depending on region. In Cornwall they’re known as piskay, pigsy, piskey, or piskie. In Devon they are known as pixies, pixy, or piscy.

The nature of these creatures also varies from county to county. In some places they are mischievous, in some places they are friendly and benign, and in others they are more devious and cunning. They are known to lead travellers astray on the moors, getting them lost, which is known as being pixy-led.

Pixie mythology is localised to Britain, in particular to Devon and Cornwall. They have been likened to the elves of Germany and Scandinavia, including the Tomte, which I wrote about earlier, but they are distinguished from them. They are different to fairies/elves, and in some British folklore pixies have battled the fairy folk. 

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Cornish Piskies

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Elves

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Fairy Rings 

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Merlin's Cave

Fabulous Folklore: The Tomte

On our Yule tree ~ alongside the baubles, lametta, and animal ornaments (including lambs representing the coming spring, and the silvers and whites of the frosty winter) ~ hang the tomten.

The tomte is a mythological creature from Scandinavian folklore. Often associated with the Winter Solstice and Christmas, he is like a little gnome. He has a long shaggy white beard, simple farming clothes, a cap, and tiny feet; and he is quite old, having seen many winters. Tomten are known as solitary, ancestral, guardians and protectors of homes and farmsteads, who love tradition, respect, orderliness and hard work.

Whilst known as guardians, they’re also said to be short tempered, and will play tricks, maim, or steal if offended. They dislike rudeness, change to farming practices, swearing, and laziness. They are connected to labour and farm work ~ often giving their help ~ and are very strong. They have been likened to both brownies and land wights.

Over time, the tomte has taken on a sort of Father Christmas role, and it is believed that you should leave out a Christmas Eve offering of porridge with a knob of butter for him. I think he’s my favourite of all folkloric creatures. We have them on our tree representing our Scandinavian heritage. For all things Scandinavian head over to the gorgeous @thenordicwolfie

Do you have a favourite folklore character? Perhaps you have a favourite character related to this time of the year?

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Mince Pies

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: The Wicker Man

NEXT - Pagan Holidays: Yule - Midwinter

Fabulous Folklore: Fairy Rings

Fairy rings, are also known as elf circles, fairy circles, pixie rings or elf rings. They are detected by a ring of dark grass like the one in the picture; with mushrooms appearing in late summer to autumn. They grow up to 10m (33ft) in diameter, growing bigger as they get older, and some have grown as big as 365m (1200ft). They are best seen late summer to early autumn.

They are often found in forests, and there are two types of ring. Those found in forests are called ‘tethered’. They live symbiotically with trees, and those found in meadows or other places are called ‘free’ because they’re not connected with other organisms.

For thousands of years people of many cultures have regarded fairy rings with curiosity, awe, and fear; as a result they are the subject of folklore worldwide.

They have been the dwellings of witches, fairies, and elves. Many believe fairy rings are too dangerous to enter. I certainly won’t enter one! In English and Celtic folklore, fairy rings were caused by fairies or elves dancing in a circle.

Norman belief held that the beautiful appearance of fairies would be alluring to people, and if humans joined in the dance they would be punished by the fairies, and made to dance in the ring, unable to stop, until they passed out from exhaustion (or went mad). It is said that if you step inside a fairy ring you will become invisible, trapped there forever. People in Somerset called them “galley-traps” as late as the 20th century. They believed that when a man who had committed a crime passed through a fairy ring, he was doomed to hang within the year. Other folk tales warn of disease, bad luck, or an early death.

Austrian folklore implies that the rings have been burned in to the ground by the fiery tails of dragons. Dutch tradition states that the devil is to blame for creating a fairy ring; it’s somewhere to keep his milk churn. In German folklore fairy rings were once known as witches’ rings, and it was believed that they would dance there on Walpurgis Night.

Some cultures believe they are portals, sign of a fairy village underground, and good luck.

NEXT: Fabulous Folklore: Elves

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Cornish Piskies