Fabulous Folklore: The Broadbean

Cultivated in the Middle East for over 8000 years and grown in gardens since about 1200, the broad bean or fava bean (now we’re all thinking of THAT film) are grown abundantly in my part of the Midlands.

They are a species of vetch and have the most beautiful, delicate, sweet scent that carries on the wind. There is nothing like it, although the scent of the lilac comes close. It’s no surprise that their scent is considered an aphrodisiac, it is simply beautiful.

Whilst not particularly tasty (not to me, anyway!) they are high in L-dopa, which the body converts to dopamine.

They have a lot of folklore and superstition surrounding them. They often appeared in old wortcunning recipes and spells to cure warts. Usually this involved rubbing the inside of the broadbean pod on skin, and throwing it over a shoulder or burying it. Preferably by moonlight. The belief was that by the time the pod was rotted the wart would be gone.

It is believed that the beans in Jack & The Beanstalk were fava beans. Jack, a poor Cornish country boy, trades the family cow for some magic beans which, when planted, grow into an enormous beanstalk ladder that reaches into the sky. Jack climbs the ladder to find himself in front of a giant. I sometimes wonder if the feel-good dopamine is reflected in this story by the magical appearance of the beans and the beautiful ladder reaching up into the heavens.

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Wolfsbane
NEXT - Winter Aconite Magick: Herbal Lore
NEXT - Sticky Willy Magick: An Abundance of Folk Names

Fabulous Folklore: Bees

Bees appear a lot in folklore. Traditionally bee charms were hung in the house to attract health and happiness, and bees flying into the house indicated strangers soon calling. Bees resting on the roof were seen as a good omen.

For some cultures bees may have been seen as psychopomps or messengers of the dead; Mycenaean tombs were decorated with bees and some were shaped like beehives. It is possible that they believed that the soul transmuted into human form after death.

“Telling the bees” is an old British custom, one that still goes on in my local area. Bees were kept abreast of all important family matters, including births, marriages, journeys, absences. Deaths especially were reported to the bees, often before other family members.

Usually the “goodwife” of a household would be tasked with “telling the bees”. She would knock gently on the give to get their intention, and solemnly tell them the news. In neighbouring Nottinghamshire, the wife of the dead was heard singing quietly in front of the hive:

“The master's dead, but don't you go; Your mistress will be a good mistress to you.”

It was feared that failure to update the bees of such news would bring catastrophe. Failure to put the bees in mourning could end in all sorts of trouble; the bees might fail to produce enough honey, leave the hive, or even die.

In my county, whenever there was a death the top of the hive was wrapped with a piece of black fabric or crepe by the beekeeper, otherwise it was feared that the bees would not thrive. Whenever there was a wedding the hives were decorated, and pieces of cake were left out so that the bees could share in the festivities.

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Kissing Gates

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: The Lincoln Imp

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Leicestershire & Rutland Leechcraft
NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: The Broadbean

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

Fabulous Folklore: Hag Stones

Hag, holey, witch, fairy, dobbie or adder stones are protective charms used in folk magic. Hung in windows or doorways, in barns and on boats, they were believed to protect against the evil eye, witches, evil spirits, and negative energy, whose magic would be rendered useless when the hole was peered through. It was believed they could wars off curses, sickness and theft. In my part of the world ‘witch stones’ were hung in dairies. Witches could stop cows from producing milk, or prevent cream from turning into butter.

It was believed that other worlds and invisible spirits could be seen through the hole, and they were hung in bedrooms to prevent nightmares. Worn around the neck they protect the wearer from harm.

The holes are formed from the boring of a mollusk called a “piddock”, by water, or by smaller stones grinding against the surface.

I found this stone in the cemetery, so I’m really chuffed with it! Do you have any witch stones? If so, where did you find them?

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: White Horses

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: King Arthur £23 Notes

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Wolfsbane

Fabulous Folklore: White Horses

White horses feature a lot in Midlands folklore. Spitting was considered to avert all evil, and to meet a white horse face-to-face without spitting (usually over the left shoulder) was considered very unlucky indeed. It has been suggested that negative associations with white horses were formed in this area because Saxon hordes laid to waste much of the Midlands; they rode under a banner with a white horse (white horses were sacred to Odin).

To dream of a white horse meant that death was coming. This superstition might have come from the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, as one of the riders sits upon a white horse. Another local superstition indicating death was to dream of riding in a cart “greased with bacon” which is very weird, and very precise!

White horses appear a lot in mythology. In Celtic mythology, Rhiannon rides a white horse and is linked to the Celtic fertility horse goddess, Epona. In Irish mythology “god of the dead”, Donn, is a phantom horseman riding a white horse. Pegasus, the winged horse of Greek mythology, was the son of Poseidon and Medusa. Poseidon was challenged to create a beautiful land mammal and created horses from the breaking waves of the ocean.

I regularly see a white horse when I travel to the Otherworld. He allows me to ride him and he is indescribably beautiful. White horses have always been very special to me.

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Bees

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Robin Redbreast

Bee Magick: 11 Hardworking Correspondences

Bees appear frequently in folklore. Bee charms were traditionally hung in the best room of a house to attract health, happiness and good fortune. If a bee flew into the home then a stranger would soon call; and bees resting on the roof were seen as a good omen.

Bees may have been seen as psychopomps or messengers of the dead as they have appeared in Mycenaean tomb decorations, with some tombs shaped like beehives. Perhaps the human soul transmuted into bee form after death.

“Telling the bees” is a British custom. Bees were kept abreast of important family matters. Births, deaths, marriages, journeys, absences and especially deaths, were reported to the bees, often before other family members.

Usually the “goodwife” of the household would be tasked with “telling the bees”. She would knock gently on the give to get their intention, and solemnly tell them the news. In neighbouring Nottinghamshire, the wife of the dead was heard singing quietly in front of the hive—“The master's dead, but don't you go; Your mistress will be a good mistress to you.” It was feared that failure to update the bees of such news would bring catastrophe. Failure to put the bees in mourning could end in all sorts of trouble; the bees might fail to produce enough honey, leave the hive, or even die.

In my county, whenever there was a death the top of the hive was wrapped with a piece of black fabric or crepe by the beekeeper, otherwise it was feared that the bees would not thrive. Whenever there was a wedding the hives were decorated, and pieces of cake were left out so that the bees could share in the festivities.

Bee Correspondences:
Fertility
Joy
Feminine power
Teamwork
Growth
Competent leadership
Hard work
Obedience
Industriousness
Prophecy
The sweetness of life

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: The Major Oak 
NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Foxgloves 

Fabulous Folklore: Wishing Trees

Wishing Trees are found all over Great Britain and have a history that goes back hundreds of years. The idea is you hammer in a coin into the tree and this offering will help cure illness and disease.

Unfortunately it has become a bit of a trend and is damaging woodlands all across the country. People visiting woodlands for the day are hammering coins to make wishes and leave their mark.

This tree is in the woods beside Golitha Falls in Cornwall. Coins weren’t just left in this stump, but also across an entire trunk that had fallen. I know some people will think it doesn’t matter because it’s “just” a stump, but chemicals from the coins leak into the environment, and sadly people are hammering coins into trees that are still very much alive. It’s time we stopped this practice!

“𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐲, 𝐟𝐞𝐰 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞. 𝐈𝐧 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐈 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐞𝐬.” ~ 𝐉.𝐑.𝐑. 𝐓𝐨𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐞𝐧

If you’d like to leave an “offering” donate to woodland charities instead, our beautiful trees need all the help they can get.

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Phallus Worship

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Yule Evergreens

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: The Yule Tree

Fabulous Folklore: Phallus Worship

This sculpture of a toadstool shaped in the form of genitalia is an exhibit at the Museum of Witchcraft & Magic; which used to be displayed in the window in Cecil Williamson’s day.

I can’t remember what the purpose of this exact artefact was, but phallic worship has been present around the world since the beginning of time. Phallic symbols have been found by archaeological expeditions all over the world.

One of the oldest phallic representations is the Hohle phallus, a 28,000 year old siltstone piece which was discovered in the Hohle Fels cave in Germany. As well as being used as a representation for genitalia, this artefact is also believed to have been used for knapping flints - a very practical dual purpose!

The phallus represents fertility, procreation and potential. Worship of the reproductive powers of nature is common in many cultures, and is often symbolised by this organ. In some cultures it was a protective symbol, and helped to avert the evil eye. In Bhutan, for example, wooden phalluses, with white ribbons emerging from the tip, deter evil spirits when hung from the doorways of houses.

Phalluses play a big part (excusing the pun!) in classical antiquity. They appear a lot in ancient Greek, Roman and Indian mythology; usually in relation to fertility.

Do you use a phallic symbol in your practice? Have you seen any good examples of phallic worship on your travels? 

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Storm Callers

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Sheela-na-Gig

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: The Wicker Man

Fabulous Folklore: The Evergreens of Yule

Evergreens symbolise eternal life, and for hundreds of years we have practised the art of bringing the outside, inside; hanging them in our windows and doorways.

But what are the Evergreens of Yule, the sacred plants of the Winter Solstice? Please note that some of these plants are very poisonous.

Holly 

A protective plant due to its spiky, barbed nature; holly is seen to guard against evil spirits, and is used to bring good luck to the home at Yule. Water infused with holly was once sprinkled on newborn infants for luck and protection (“holly water”), such is its magickal and protective qualities. Holly is sacred to Holle, a figure also known as Old Mother Frost, and represents everlasting light and life force energy. It is seen as a good luck charm for men.

Ivy 

A symbol of immortality, ivy is magickally paired to holly, as seen in the festive song “The Holly and the Ivy”. It is seen as a good luck charm for women, and with its spiral pattern of growth, ivy symbolises the concept of eternity. It is often fashioned into wreaths and garlands. Magickal correspondences for ivy include healing and protection.

Mistletoe 

Another decorative (albeit poisonous) herb for the home, magickal correspondences for mistletoe often include protection, love, fertility and health. Because it grows betweeen earth and sky, it is useful for all sorts of liminal workings, and is considered to hold deep magick. Hung from a doorway it is a useful tool for gathering kisses! It has long believed to be protective against fires, which is helpful during the winter season.

Pine 

Making their way into our homes as Christmas Trees, the branches of pines bring comfort and joy. Cones from pines have historically been gathered to be used as charms to increase fertility. Pine needles can be used in incense for purification and protection, and other common magickal associations related to pine include healing, fertility and abundance.

Yew 

A tree of regeneration and rebirth, the yew is associated with eternal life. It is also deeply connected to raising the dead, the ancestors and their spiritual realms (perhaps due to its extremely toxic nature). 

NEXT - Pagan Holidays: The Winter Solstice
NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Wren's Day (26th December)
NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: The Yule Tree 

Fabulous Folklore: Horse Brasses

Horse brasses ~ correctly known as “pressed brass harness decorations” ~ became popular in the 1850s.

They are brass plaques used for identifying and decorating harness gear; especially for cart, parade, and Shire horses.

It is unknown if horse brasses had a deliberate magical intent originally, as no English tradition of metal charms on horses exists previously, however it is likely that horse brasses replaced charms of other materials, as horses were seen as particularly liable to the attention and effects of malign forces, and anything eye-catching and shiny can protect against witchcraft and the evil eye.

Many English brasses depict lucky and fortuitous symbols such as the sun, crescent moon, star, horseshoe, sun cross, and wheel; and dogs, lions, and serpents are common, too.

Horse brasses are commonly used as apotropaic charms to protect homes. Apotropaic charms offer a shield of protection whilst repelling negative energies, magic, and forces. Horse brasses have been found up Welsh chimneys, and were used to protect carts on the streets of early 20th century London. They have been used as protective pendants on necklaces, and as altar decorations.

Modern horse brasses are being produced now. Alongside my collection of antique horse brasses I have also brasses for Stonehenge and Avebury stone circle.

Do you use apotropaic charms? Do you have horse brasses in your home?

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: The Witches of Belvoir

Cyclamen Magick: Herbal Lore

Cyclamen are a group of hardy tuberous perennials with white, pink or purple flowers that point upwards, like shuttlecocks. Species are native to the Mediterranean region: Greece, Italy, Cypress, Crete, Turkey, Israel and Lebanon. In the U.K. they flower from late winter through to early spring. They provide a hit of colour in a season where often there is none, unless the mice or squirrels dig them up to eat the tubers! The name cyclamen comes from the Latin "cyclamnos" which in turn comes from the Greek "kuklaminos" and "kuklos" which means cycle, circle, or wheel.

Sacred to Hecate, cyclamen is feminine in nature, and is associated with the element of Water, and the planet Mars.

It is a helpful plant that protects against all sorts of negative feelings and bad vibes. A plant kept in the bedroom is said to guard against nightmares and night terrors, whilst increasing libido, lust and fertility. Where it grows, it is said to prevent negative spells from taking effect. It builds joy, happiness, confidence, self-esteem and self-love; perfect for combining with a pink spell candle for all those self-care spells. The tuber withstands difficult conditions ~ think of its over-wintering success ~ therefore the cyclamen represents deep love and sincere affection. Rather confusingly, cyclamen can also be used in the opposite way; to send away someone whose affections you do not want.

The flowers can be used to ease grief, and it is said that a plant placed in the home will prevent negative spells reaching a member of the household.

CAUTION: Cyclamen should not be used medicinally/therapeutically unless you are a trained herbalist, or have experience with working with plants. It is a very powerful purgative and can cause violent purging if eaten raw. It should not be used (internally or externally) by pregnant women, in any situation, and it is poisonous to cats and fish.

Do you use cyclamen in your practice? Have you seen any this year? Maybe you grow them at home? 

NEXT - Hydrangea Magick: Correspondences
NEXT - Snowdrop Magick: 8 Correspondences For Strength & Hope
NEXT - Flower Magick: 52 Floral Magickal Correspondences 

Poppy Magick: Correspondences

Poppies are a common wildflower in many parts of the world, found in fields as well as gardens, and are available in a number of varieties. Their blooms may be single or double, and can be just about any colour. All parts of the plant are toxic, except for the seeds, which may be eaten.

In the U.K. common poppies flower from June to September, so they give me summer and harvest vibes. They will flower in cracks in the pavement, so as well as delicate beauty, they make me think of tenacity and determination, and success against all odds. They’re one of my favourite flowers precisely because of their tenacious nature. I admire their strength and ephemeral beauty.

Poppies are often associated with love, due to the red colour of “traditional” poppies, however the correspondences most associated with them are death and remembrance. The poem “In Flanders Fields” by John McRae references poppies growing between the graves of World War I military personnel, and nods to the sheer brutality of war. The associations with death and remembrance go back a long way - the Egyptians apparently used poppies in their funerary rites some 3000 years ago, and they represented eternal sleep to the Romans. Both cultures also recognised their association with new life: they made garlands of common poppies to celebrate the gods and ensure the fertility of their crops. In Greek mythology, Thanatos, the God of Death, wore a crown of poppies.

Here in the U.K. white poppies are worn - sometimes with the red poppy - which stand for three things: a commitment to peace, remembrance for all victims of war, and as a challenge to those who would celebrate or glamourise war. Purple poppies are worn to remember the animal victims of war. As the wife of a veteran, the poppy is an important symbol in our home.

Magickal Correspondences for Poppy: 

Gender: Feminine

Planet: Moon

Element: Water

Magical Associations: love, fertility, death, peace, remembrance, ancestor work, imagination, strength, tenacity, determination, regeneration, success against the odds, summer, the harvest, strength. 

NEXT - Lupin Magick: 12 Correspondences For Growth
NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Meadowsweet
NEXT - Happy Summer Solstice! 

Fabulous Folklore: Wolfsbane

Wolfsbane, also known as aconite, monkshood, mousebane, pops, Cupid’s cap, flapdock, women’s bane, queen of poisons, devil’s helmet and blue rocket, belongs to the plant genus Aconitum; a group of plants which are all poisonous, with wolfsbane being one of the most toxic plants in the UK.

I haven’t managed to spot Aconitum napellus in the wild yet, but I did spy this Chinese aconite (Aconitum carmichaelii) at our local gardens, which I was really surprised to see! Isn’t she beautiful?

Serious poisoning by plants is rare in the UK, but the toxins of wolfsbane can enter the blood if protective clothing is not worn when handling. In 2014, a gardener in Hampshire, UK, died after brushing against it, which is extremely unusual, but shows the amount of care needed when handling these plants.

Aconite, along with other baneful herbs, is said to be a constituent of flying ointment, which is said to have been used by witches from the Late Middle Ages. This hallucinogenic ointment allowed the witches to astrally project; the witch’s consciousness “flying” off rather than their physical body.

Francis Bacon listed the ingredients of flying ointment as wolfsbane, “the fat of children digged out of their graves”, smallage (celery), cinquefoil (potentilla), and fine wheat (wheat flour).

Poisonous ingredients listed in flying ointments, past and present, include belladonna, henbane, mandrake, and hemlock.

Whilst I have a good general plant knowledge, I’m still learning about the baneful aspects of certain plants, and their history. One thing is for certain: baneful plants are absolutely beautiful.

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: The Magickal Hydrangea

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Witches' Flight

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Werewolves, Werewolfery & The Werewolf Witch Trials

Fabulous Folklore: Horseshoe Magick

Horseshoes have good luck status in England as Blacksmiths and Farriers are considered to be natural magicians. Horseshoes are displayed in a “U” shape, with the points upwards, so that the luck should not run out. It is considered very bad luck to have them pointing downwards.

Traditionally, only Smiths and Farriers may display a horseshoe downwards. Blacksmiths would have an upside-down horseshoe hung over their forge doors; their magical power pouring from the horseshoe on to the forge itself.

There is one other exception to this rule, though.

In my county we only display horseshoes downwards. It is found on houses, and above doorways. It is also upside-down on our county flag.

The people here believe that the Devil can’t make a home in the horseshoe this way up, and upside-down horseshoes bring good luck to us, much in the same way that upward horseshoes bring luck to the rest of the country.

We also have a tradition where any reigning monarch or peer of the realm who visits the county for the first time should present a horseshoe to the Lord of the Manor. This custom is over 500 years old and still continues today. There are now over 200 upside-down horseshoes on display at Oakham Castle, the oldest said to have been given by Edward IV in around 1470.

Valerie Worth, in the Crone’s Book of Words, gives a horseshoe spell to cure a headache. You hold an end in each hand and press the centre of the horseshoe against your forehead and say:

“Good metal loosed,

From horse’s hoof,

Draw from my brain, 

These nails of pain,

Cast them away,

Keep them away.”

Horseshoe traditions have also become popular for weddings. A bride carrying a horseshoe will bring good luck to both the occasion and the marriage. Sometimes this is a small symbol, made of silver, or porcelain hidden in the bouquet or carried alongside it. My grandmother carried several decorative horseshoes alongside her bouquet.

Do you have a horseshoe protecting your home? Which way up is it? Have you seen horseshoes at a wedding, or carried one yourself?

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Horse Brasses

Lupin Magick: 12 Correspondences for Growth

The lupin, or lupine, is a genus of flowering plant in the legume family, with a rich and fascinating history. It was originally named from lupus, meaning wolf, but I have seen several explanations for its name.

Firstly, it has been suggested that it was named after the wolf because of its voracious nature. Secondly, that lupin was named after the wolf, because it was thought that both wolves and lupins kill livestock. Thirdly, because it was believed that lupins “wolfed” minerals and nutrients from the soil, when in actual fact they do the opposite.

It is traditionally used in protection rites and spells, and is said to absorb psychic and magickal energy.

Powder the leaves, roots, seeds, but despite it being used as a culinary plant around the world, please do NOT ingest it, as some lupins contain secondary compounds which can be poisonous.

Magickal Correspondences for Lupin:

Protection

Balancing 

Otherworld communication 

Absorbing psychic “messes” 

Admiration 

Creativity

Animal healing, in particular dogs 

Imagination 

Happiness 

Strength recovering from trauma 

New opportunities found via a positive outlook 

Corresponds with the third eye chakra 

NEXT - Chamomile Magick: 9 Protective Correspondences 

NEXT - Flower Magick: Using Flowers in Cooking 

NEXT - Cancer the Crab: Magickal Correspondences 

Fabulous Folklore: Bird’s Foot Trefoil

Bird’s-foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus)

This cheery little plant is one we have in abundance on the cemetery. It flowers in grassy areas between May and September. Native to Eurasia and North Africa, and found throughout mainland Europe, Asia, Africa, the US, and the tropics; it’s not difficult to see that it’s a member of the pea family.

The bird’s foot part of its name refers to the appearance of the seed pods. Five leaves are present, but three are held above the others, hence the “trefoil” part of the name.

It has an abundance of wonderful folk names: deervetch, lady’s slipper, lady’s shoes, granny’s toenails, butter and eggs, eggs and bacon, hen and chickens, cats claws, crow feet, crow toes, devil’s fingers, devil’s claws, king’s fingers, to name but a few.

In folklore the birds-foot trefoil was sometimes associated with evil. Its claw-like seed pods were compared to the Devil’s claws.

The theme of warning and protection comes up a lot with this plant. It has been suggested that bird’s-foot trefoil were woven into wreaths on Midsummer’s night, its three-lobed leaves reminiscent of the Holy Trinity and therefore offering protection; and U.K. schoolchildren used to pick these flowers to use as protective charms against their teachers’ anger.

“Here I dance in a dress like flames,

And laugh to think of my comical names.

Hoppetty hop, with nimble legs!

Some folks call me Bacon and Eggs!

While other people, it’s really true,

Tell me I’m Cuckoo’s Stockings too!

Over the hill I skip and prance;

I’m Lady’s Slipper, and so I dance,

Not like a lady, grand and proud,

But to the grasshoppers chirping loud.

My pods are shaped like dicky’s toes:

That is what Bird’s-Foot Trefoil shows;

This is the name which grown-ups use, but children may call me what they choose.”

~ Mary Cicely Barker, “The Song of the Bird’s-Foot Trefoil Fairy”

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Meadowsweet

Fabulous Folklore: Leicestershire & Rutland Leechcraft

Whilst there are many parts of Leicestershire folklore that are also found in other parts of the country; some recorded folklore is specific to Leicestershire and the immediate district. Some of my favourite Leicestershire folklore is the wonderful, and often bizarre, leechcraft: healing or medical “cures.”

Rub a wart three times with the rind of stolen bacon. Nail the rind up on some outside wall, and, as it dries up, the wart will dry up also.

Charm against drunkenness: “Take the lungs of an hog; roast it; whosoever eateth thereof fasting shall not be drunk that day, how liberally soever hee takes his drinks.”

Swallowing shot will remedy “raisin’ o’ the loights” (heart-burn).

Get a black snail, rub it on the wart, then stick it on a thorn until it dies.

To cure whooping cough seat the patient on a donkey, with his face towards its tail. Give him a roast mouse to eat. He must not know what he's eating.

The Churchyard Mould Cure for rheumatism: bury the patient in the earth for two to three hours, naked, his face only uncovered. Repeat daily until the rheumatism is cured.

To cure a wart travel to an ash tree with some fresh pins. Stick a pin through the bark, and then into the wart until it produces pain. Take it out and stick it into the tree. Use a different pin for each wart. The warts will disappear in about six weeks.

Charming for whooping-cough and fits: the operator, generally an old woman, draws a circle round the sufferer’s face nine times with her fore-finger, pausing each time at the centre of the forehead and the chin, her lips moving silently during the performance. (It is believed the words of the charm were probably transmitted from mother to daughter as a treasure to be secretly guarded, and may now be irrecoverably lost).

When stung with a nettle find a dock leaf and beat the sting with the leaves, repeating the words "in dock, out nettle " — a word with every blow.

Sources: 

Leicestershire Legends, Folklore & Dialect 

County Folklore: Leicestershire & Rutland

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Horses

Fabulous Folklore: Primrose

Primrose (Primula vulgaris)

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 the mildest areas of the U.K.

They’re found across the whole of Britain and Ireland, and are considered a favourite by many, including the many little creatures that depend on them for food, nectar and pollination. 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 from the wild 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 Flora Britannica, Richard Mabel notes that 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: Yew 

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Oak Galls

Fabulous Folklore: Lesser Celandine

Lesser Celandine (Ranunculus Ficaria) 

Considered a weed - but still a beautiful plant nonetheless - Lesser Celandine is a small, low-growing, perennial herb from the buttercup family Ranunculaceae. Its cheerful star-shaped flowers appear in early spring covering the woodland floor.

A British native, it can be found in woods, hedgerows, on the banks of streams, and in gardens; and is an early and excellent source of pollen and nectar for emerging bumblebees.

Also known as brighteye, spring messenger, figwort, smallwort, cheesecups, and butter and cheese, it’s most popular folk name is probably pilewort due to its traditional use in Medieval Britain in the treatment of piles.

I call it The Shopkeeper because it closes its petals at 5pm, and re-opens at 9am, even in fine weather; and it was once held that it could be used to predict the weather as they close their petals before raindrops.

If picked on the morning of St Peter’s Day (29th June) it is said that you are given protection from imprisonment - but given that it disappears around late April take from that what you will! It is also associated with psychic ability, the Sun, Artemis, and Scorpio.

I have seen its magickal correspondences referred to as war, destruction, action, rage, and power, but I personally associate it with cheeriness, spring, routine, boundaries, timekeeping, and getting a job done.

Lesser celandine is mentioned in C. S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. When Aslan returns and the woodland turns from winter to spring, the ground is covered with yellow celandine flowers.

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Cleavers

Fabulous Folklore: The Land and People

This month @witch.with.me are hosting a challenge based on #regionalwitchcraft and they get started this week with the prompt “Land and People”, two things that are deeply interwoven here.

I’m a “Raddleman” which means I’m an inhabitant of the smallest county in England - Rutland - which is nestled between Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire.

Our agricultural landscape boasts hills and valleys, sacred wells, a Sheela na gig, a labyrinth, a Norman castle, a Bede house, and lots of churches built on old, sacred ground. We are a beautiful county, steeped in the rich history, folklore and traditions of the surrounding area, much of which has made its way into our magick.

Aside from smiths and farriers, we are the only people that may display a horseshoe pointing downwards to bring us luck, for fear that the Devil will make its home in the hollow when displayed the other way round. Apparently we need to keep an eye on the Devil as he’s always hard at work putting temptation in the way of the people! We nail horseshoes with nine nails over the stable door, and keep one in the fire at all times. A horse-shoe nailed on a door renders the evil power of a witch that may enter of non-effect, and many local houses display them.

Our local produce, broad beans, also feature a lot in our folklore, especially remedies - “take the pod of a broad bean, rub it on a wart, and then bury it or throw it over the shoulder without looking back”, and you can spot someone from Leicestershire as the beans will (apparently!) rattle in their belly.

If you drop a knife, a male visitor will come to the house. If you drop a spoon, a female visitor will come. If one person begins to pour out the tea, and another takes charge of the tea-pot to finish, there will be a birth in the family within twelve months.

We have loads of legends, many of them ghost stories. The spectral lady of Braunston, Swift Nick, Nicodemus, the Black Annis, the Witch of Edmondthorpe Hall, a magic hedge that bows when you walk past it, and a bogeyman. All yet to be shared with you. 

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: The Knockers of Cornwall

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: King Arthur £23 Note 

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Doniert Stone - The King's Cross