A ghost story that caused a riot: the strange case of Maude Carew

In February 1862 a riot broke out in a Suffolk churchyard over a ghost story. Margaretta Greene, the story’s author, originated an enduring legend of the ghost of a nun, Maude Carew, who haunts the ruins of the Abbey of Bury St Edmunds. But the story of Maude Carew, and the riot she inspired, raises intriguing questions about the origins of folklore and beliefs about the supernatural.

Ferrous Friend or Foe? How Iron Became the Enemy of Fairy Folk

Iron bands around coffin of a witch were believed to prevent them from escaping their tombs. Yet iron has also been the saviour of many church bell ringers.

Top Five Mythical Birds in Legend and Folklore

The alkonost, the sirin, the roc, the phoenix and the caladrius are all five mythical birds from legend and folklore. Each were attributed their own magical qualities and roles by various human societies in history and presented here is a brief description of these five fabled creatures.

King Arthur, the Mabinogion and Wales’ Legendary Landscapes

The National Library of Wales discuss their exhibition ‘Arthur and Welsh Mythology’, and how Welsh folklore is engrained in its legendary landscape.

Shapeshifters from the Celtic World

There are many different kinds of shapeshifting and here we look at different examples from Ireland, Wales and Scotland that provide differing glimpses of shapeshifters in action in the myth, folklore, and tradition of these three Celtic nations.

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