King Herla and the Wild Hunt in Twelfth-Century England and Wales
The ghostly “Wild Hunt” rampaged across European folklore as a company of supernatural huntsmen that often counted fairies and the dead among their number.
Celtic Warrior Women: Queen Boudica of the Iceni
Queen Boudica, ruler of the Iceni people of Britain, was famous for leading a violent uprising against Roman rule. Although she had early success, the rebellion ultimately failed, but made her into a legend and a folk heroine of the British people. Here we look briefly at how Boudica is presented in history, the causes of the rebellion, its successes and its ultimate failure and how she became perceived in later centuries.
British Sea Legends: Captain Jack’s Top 5 Cornish Mermaids
From King Arthur to Jack the Giant Killer, this county has an array of famous tales, but being a man of the sea I have a special place in my heart for Cornish mermaids!
A Thousand Years Before Tolkien: The Original Evil Magic Ring
An evil magic ring, associated with dwarf and dragon – what a great idea Tolkien had for his books! But he actually borrowed it from ancient Viking legends…
Juraj Jánošík: An Outlaw Who Became the Slovak National Hero
Jánošík, a young outlaw with braided hair, carrying a shepherd’s axe called valaška, and wearing rural clothing, is the unlikely hero of Slovakia who is also popular in Poland and the Czech Republic. Throughout the last three hundred years, he has remained to be the symbol of the fight for freedom, and he continues to inspire people to create more, fight for justice, and not to lose hope in the face of adversity.