The Lore of the Land-A Guide to England’s Legends, from Spring-Heeled Jack to the Witches of Worboys, written by Jennifer Westwood and Jacqueline Simpson is a magnum opus of a county by county guide to the folklore, myths and legends of England.
First published in 2005 and running to over 900 pages, the authors have compiled a study of local legends, and historical facts to explain why certain stories exist and how many have been replicated in other parts of the country to add to the unique history of English folklore.
My fascination with all things British folklore began, like many of my generation, I suspect with a copy of the now legendary Readers Digest Folklore, Myths and Legends of Britain. This classic book, now highly collectible, also covered the English counties as well as the rest of the British Isles and brought folklore back to the minds of a country which perhaps only knew folklore on a subconscious level rather than a more practiced form.
I say this because old lore does exist all around us, be it in the buildings, place names, parts of a town or city, a country lane or the influence on a modern- day culture in all of its forms. As science improved and education became more widespread then the fables of old ebbed away and people’s inherent belief and indeed, fear of superstitions were replaced by an intrinsically more boring common sense approach to life!
Britain is full of historical place names, streets whose name long taken for granted and rarely considered for its origin and the beauty of books such as these is that they persuade us to look again at what is around us and how important history and folklore is to our culture.
There has been a healthy revival of British folklore in recent years, many books have since been published since this book was written but few are able to dig so deep as this. If you live in England you will find many intriguing stories from your home county, if you live further afield this will no doubt add substance to the country’s rich folklorist history.
Folklore, Myths and Legends of Britain
Categories: British History and Folklore
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