Creature of the Week: Barghest

Welcome to part 4 of Creature of the Week, where each week I introduce you to a creature from my local folklore (Northumberland).

This week we meet the Barghest.

The Barghest is a monstrous black dog, with large white teeth and big claws. A Barghest only appears at night and it is said if you lay your eyes on one you will dies. Now before you think well if I only catch a glimpse of one I will be fine, you’d be wrong, you would still die just not imminently.

There are a number of black dog creatures across British folklore, their meaning remains ominous but their name and appearance can vary.

For example:

In Welsh folklore they are known as Gwyllgi who have red eyes.
In Lancashire as a Trash, Skriker or a Striker who have broad sometimes backward feet.
In East Anglia they’re referred to as Black Shuck or Shock who have one eye.
In Isle of Man they are the Mauthe Doog.

Note:

In Northern English folklore the name can also mean ghost, as a ghost is pronounced ‘guest‘ in some places.

Creature of the Week: Shellycoat

Welcome back to part 3 of Creature of the Week, where each Wednesday I bring you a creature from my local folklore (Northumberland) and talk about them.

In my past two posts I’ve spoken about a ‘Hob‘ and a ‘Redcap‘, today I’m going to introduce you to a ‘Shellycoat‘.

Unsurprisingly with Northumberland bordering with Scotland, the Shellycoat features in both Northumbrian and Scottish folklore – along the border lands.

A Shellycoat likes to live by water, particularly around rivers and streams. They are a type of bogeyman if you will and are harmless creatures – if not a bit mischievous.

Shellycoat’s (like other folklore beings) received their name from their description, a Shellycoat wears a coat made of shells which are said to rattle as they walk alerting you to their presence.

As I’ve said they are pretty harmless beings, and while they are said to be mischievous I’d say they’re more irritating or even troublemakers simply because they often (for fun) cry out as if they were drowning causing passers by to run and help only for the Shellycoat to laugh at those who come to their ‘aid’.

Who wouldn’t find that annoying.

Creature of the Week: Redcap

Welcome to part 2 of Creature of the Week, where each Wednesday I bring you a creature from my local folklore and talk about them.

This week let me introduce you to a ‘Redcap‘.

What is a Redcap you might ask, and the answer is it is a type of Goblin. But not just any type of Goblin.

Redcap’s are malevolent creatures who are known to kill.

They feature in folklore along the Anglo-Scottish boarder. In some stories their name changes, they’re also known as Redcomb’s or Bloody Cap but are always described in the same way. They are depicted as a short old man, with long teeth, red eyes and shoulder length wild-looking hair. They are well built with long thin fingers, long thin nails like hooked claws and carry a pike. But most importantly they wear a red cap.

It’s not just any red coloured cap though, the cap is red as it has been soaked in the blood of their victims.

Redcap’s live in ruined castles, particularly those that have seen their fair share of evil tyrannous deeds and the boarder lands have seen plenty of that. It’s said that if you seek shelter in their abode he will throw stones at you, which usually results in your death and will then proceed to soak his hat in your blood.

While Redcap’s seem to be unaffected by human strength you can rid one using scripture or holding a crucifix, the Redcap will then vanish in flames leaving behind a tooth.

Top 5 Most Haunted Places: Ireland

Hi gang, today I’m counting down the Top 5 Most Haunted places in Ireland. So let’s get started!

5. Kilmainham Goal

Built in 1796, Kilmainham Goal can be found in Dublin and is the largest unoccupied prison in Ireland.

The prison itself was in use between 1796-1924 during which time the majority of inmates died on the premises, with men, women and children, often 5 at a time crammed into a single cell. The most notable deaths on site were those responsible for the 1916 Easter Rising where 15 conspirators were executed by firing squad.

Former governors and workmen conducting repairs in the jail have reported witnessing:

Lights turning on and off
Hearing footsteps
Loud bangs
Disembodied voices
Feelings of being touched
Feeling powerful strong winds

Adding to this, visitors also have reported feeling like they’re being watched when no one else is around.

Going further, psychics who visit have reportedly mentioned an evil presence confined to the Chapel’s balcony.

4. Leap Castle

Thousands of visitors come from around the world each year to visit Leap Castle. This medieval castle is located in Coolderry, County Offaly.

There are varied accounts as to when this castle was built but it’s believed that it occured between the 13th to late 15th centuries, with some experts stating the construction was probably close to 1250.

There are a number of paranormal tales within this castle, which seem to have begun occuring after the death of Mulrooney O’Carrol in 1532. After his death a family struggle broke out turning brother against brother. One of these brothers was a priest and it is said that while he was delivering mass in the castle’s Chapel the other brother plunged a sword into his heart at the alter.

One of the O’Carrol’s (I’m unsure who) is said to have rapped a young girl leading her to become pregnant, after having the baby it was killed leading to the girl committing suicide in the castle. This young girl is believed to be The Red Lady, who is seen holding a dagger in a menacing way leading people to wo der if she is seeking revenge.

There is also a creature known as ‘It’. ‘It’ is said to be a creature about the size of a sheep with a horrific decaying face. When ‘It’ appears you can smell sulphur and decaying flesh. The arrival of ‘It’ is said to be due to when a former resident of the castle, Mildred Darby, dabbled in the occult awakening an elemental within the castle.

Other spirits include:

Shadows wandering the castle
A burly mab pushing a barrel upstairs
Two young girls called Emily and Charlotte

The current owner, Sean Ryon, frequently states all the spirits are harmless.

3. Malahide Castle

Located in Dublin and built in 1185, Malahide Castle is argued as having a minimum of 5 ghosts haunting the castle.

The most well known ghost is that of Sir Walter Hussey, Lord Galtrim, who was killed in battle on his wedding day. He is seen wondering the castle at night, groaning in pain while clutching a spear wound in his side. He is said to be heartbroken as his bride-to-be married his rival immediately after his death.

Another resident ghost, is Puck the Court Jester. It’s said he fell in love with Lady Eleanora Fitzgerald (who was detained in the castle for inciting a rebellion). Puck was found dead one snowy night after being stabbed in the heart while still wearing his costume. It’s said prior to his death, he swore to haunt the castle until a master ruled who married a bride from the ‘common people’.He is frequently sited in photos taken inside the castle.

Other ghosts include:

Lady Plunkett – she is seen in her wedding dress chasing her husband, the Lord Justice, through the castle
Miles Corbet – he was a previous owner of the castle who hung himself in the castle grounds

2. The Hellfire Club

Founded in 1735 by Richard Parsons, the 1st Earl of Rosse and the 1st Grand Master of the Irish Freemassons. He gained a reputation as a sorcerer dabbling in black magic using ancient Dionysian scrolls. He wrote a book called Dionysus Rising and started the 2nd Sect of Dionysus to celebrate the joys of Bacchus and Venus, drinking and sex. All of this became known as The Hellfire Club.

The Hellfire Club can be found in the Dublin mountains, built upon an Ancient Stone Age burial site. A location which has seen both animal and human sacrifices. It’s said that the Lords and Noblemen that gathered here, held rituals to summon demons and even Satan himself!

Reports exist that black cats were captured and caged, then roasted. They believed that 4 days later, the Devil would appear to grant their wishes.

Today this site is a popular walking destination which apparently still smells of Brimstone (I’ve never been so I don’t know) to this day.

Visitors report:

Feeling an oppressive atmosphere
Seeing demonic manifestations
See a female spirit

Rumours are that this female spirit is that of a servant girl who was murdered and possibly even eaten by members of the club.

Loftus Hall

Found at Hook Head, County Wexford. Loftus Hall is said to be the Most Haunted House in Ireland.

While it is now an abandoned building, the story of Loftus Hall remains a compelling tale.

The story goes that on one stormy night, Sir Charles Tottingham was hosting a card game at the Hall when a stranger knocked at the door.

The stranger was soaked through and seeking shelter from the storm. The man was ushered in and invited to join the game.

During the game a lady called Anne dropped her cards, she bent down to pick them up but while doing so noticed the man had bloody cloven hooves instead of feet.

It became clear that the man they welcomed in that night was no man, he was in fact the Devil.

Upon this realisation the man transformed into his true form and shot through the roof. Anne was driven mad after this event and was confined to the Tapestry Room where she stayed until she died.

To this day the Hall is said to be haunted by both Anne and the Devil himself.

What are your thoughts on this list? Do you think other places should have made the list? Have you visited any and had your own experience? Let me know in the comments below.

Creature of the Week: Hob

Welcome to my creature of the week series, where each Wednesday I bring you a creature from my local folklore (Northumberland, England) and talk about them.

The first creature I’m going to talk about is a ‘Hob’.

In general a Hob is a small household spirit. They’re described as small, hairy and wise men, who can be kind but also mischievous.

They mainly feature in folklore around the border regions of England and Scotland, but have been known to appear as far down as the Midlands.

When they’re kind, they will help out on farms and have even helped heal the sick, which is noted in Tales of the Hobthurst. This Hob lived near to Runswick Bay in a hobhole and he is said to cure Whooping Cough.

They prefer to work at night and come and go as they please.

But a word of caution…..if you give a Hob clothing they will leave.

Top 5: The Most Haunted Places North East England

Welcome back!

It’s said that Saints, murderers and smugglers have all played a part in shaping the North East of England’s most famous ghost stories so today I count down the 5 most haunted places in the region. By the North East I am referring to the counties of Northumberland, County Durham and Tyne & Wear.

5. Holy Island

Holy Island, or Lindisfarne, is located off the coast of Northumberland and is regarded as the birthplace of Christianity in the region. In 633 AD, Saint Aiden founded Lindisfarne Priory on the island with Saint Cuthbert becoming Bishop of Lindisfarne in 685 AD. After Saint Cuthbert died, he was buried on the island and after a few years his casket was reopened where it was found that his body was still intact without decomposition resulting in hundreds of people making pilgrimage to Lindisfarne in order to see his body.

However, due to Viking invaision, Monks on the island relocated to the main land taking his body and other artefacts with them. To this day sightings of Monks are spotted walking across the original rock walkway, which joins the island to the mainland.

Other apparitions on the island include, sightings of St. Cuthbert walking around the island in his robes as well as being seen in the priory grounds and around the castle. It’s also said that ‘on night’s when the moon is full and high in the sky‘ he can be seen making what’s known locally as Cuddy’s Beads, which when woven are said to bring the bearer good luck.

Stepping away from Saints, other apparitions on the island include that of a soldier who is sighted in the castle and is believed to have resided here during the English Civil War when parliamentary forces attacked the royalist garrison and castle.

4. Lumley Castle

This 14th Century manor house turned castle was built in 1389 and now functions as a luxury hotel owned by the Earl of Scarborough. Like many other castles, this place has it’s own resident ghosts.

The castle itself is located in County Durham, near to Chester-Le-Street and is famously haunted by Lady Lumley. She is said to have been murdered by priests after she refused to join the Catholic faith and her body was thrown down a well. In order to account for her disappearance, the priests told her husband she ran away to become a nun. To this day she is said to still haunt the castle, raising each night from the well and walking around the castle. She has been sighted by both staff and guests.

Further activity in the castle includes, sightings of a strange man in the corner of the bar, white anomalies being witnessed throughout the castle and orbs appearing in pictures taken by guests.

Some of the most famous paranormal accounts have come from world famous cricketers dating back to the year 2000 where 3 members of the West Indies Cricket Team checked out because they were scared. In 2005, while members of the Australian Cricket Team were staying in the castle Shane Watson became so terrified that he slept on the floor in another team mates room for the rest of his stay. He later told journalists that he saw ghosts during the night.

3. The Schooner Hotel

Having held the title of The Most Haunted Hotel in the Country, The Schooner Hotel is not shy of ghosts.

Located in the coastal village of Alnmouth, The Schooner Hotel was once a coaching inn built in the 1600s being a regular haunt for smugglers with secret tunnels leading from the inns cellar to port. The Schooner is said to have 60 individual ghosts in residence, with activity increasing.

Out of the 32 guest rooms, room 28 has the most activity having hosted suicides, murders and family massacres. One story in particular relating to this room is that of a man returning home from sea killing his wife and 2 children in the room. About 10 years ago a mother and daughter stayed in this room, with the lady’s daughter waking up during the night and started talking with someone, when the girl’s mother asked her daughter who she was talking to, the girl replied the man at the end of the bed and she couldn’t understand why no one else could not see him.

Other rooms with paranormal activity, include room 16 & 17 with guests stating seeing figures at the end of their beds and in the corridor outside the rooms.

Rooms 28, 29 & 30 host a variety of sounds, including knocking, bangs and whispering, with people also reporting feeling the sensation of dread, dizziness and sickness within these rooms. Further to this, there are also reports from guests seeing a soldier walking along the corridors and a maid appearing on the stairs from time to time.

2. Washington Old Hall

Washington Old Hall stands above a wooden Saxon Hall dating back to the 10th Century and is the ancestral home of the American president George Washington. The Hall stayed within his family until the 15th Century when it passed to the Mallroy’s and then to William James, the former Bishop of Durham in 1639. It was under his occupation of the Hall when most of the original structure was pulled down, before being reconstructed into the Hall that stands today.

From here, the Hall was used as a home for the wealthy until it was converted into tenement’s for the poor in the 18th Century, where conditions were said to be cramp, damp and dirty with 35 people fitting into the place. The Hall began falling into disrepair from 1939 before being brought by The National Trust who restored the Hall into its former glory, reopening to the public in 1956.

In terms of paranormal activity sightings in the Hall include that of its own resident ghost, The Green Lady, who has been seen for decades mainly by children walking around the corridors of the upper floors and on occasion is seen weeping, but her identity to this day remains unknown.

Other activity includes, visitors seeing figures of children playing on stairs and the smell of lavender perfume in the Entrance Hall.

1.Chillingham Castle

Chillingham Castle appeared in all the sources I looked at when making this list and so has naturally been given the top spot.

The castle was built in the 12th Century and is located in the County of Northumberland near to the Scottish boarder. Due to its position, the castle was a regular target by Scottish invaders with the English utilising the castle as a staging point to leads attacks against Scotland. From this the castle began being used as a notorious place of torture and execution, with people believing that their spirits still remain within the castle. It’s believed that there are between 6 to 8 ghosts within the castle walls, one of which is The Blue Boy.

The Blue Boy is seen in the Pink Room and its said his cries can be heard on the stroke of midnight and that he could appear as a simple orb or even as a halo of blue light. During renovation works in the 20th Century, the remains of a young boy were found within a wall. Near to the bones were pieces of blue fabric causing people to believe that these remains belong to The Blue Boy. Some sources state that once his bones were found no futher activity from the boy was documented, but others state his spirit still remains in the castle.

One of the best known tales from this castle is that of The White Pantry Ghost, who has been sighted in the inner pantry. This room was once used to store the castles silver, where a guard would be placed in the room overnight to protect it. One night while on duty a guard is said to have seen a very pale, frail old lady who begged him for water. Mistaking her for a guest he obeyed her request before realising that he was in a locked room alone where no visitor could have entered. She is still sighted on occasion and it’s believed that this begging for water could be a sign she was poisoned.

Further apparitions include that of Lady Berkeley who was married to Lord Grey of Walk and Chillingham before he abandoned her by running off with her sister Henrietta, leaving her to wonder the castle heartbroken and raise their child alone. Today visitors hear the rustle of her silk dress accompanied by a chill.

Other activity includes, light tricks, voices, phantom ghosts on the Devil’s Walk and a malevolent presence lurking in dark chambers of the castle.

Well that’s it for my list of the Top 5 Most Haunted places in North East England. Let me know what you think below and if you think other places should have made the list.

Top 5 Tuesday: The Most Haunted Places in Northumberland

Northumberland is one of the two boarder counties of England, and can be found in the North East by the North Sea. It’s the place I’ve called home for over two decades and I still find new stories about the place.

Today I’ll be counting down the 5 most haunted places in the region.

Number 5: Holy Island

Argued as the birthplace of Christianity in the region, Holy Island or Lindisfarne as it’s also known, has quite a few ghosts sighted on the island over the centuries.

In 635 AD St Aiden founded Lindisfarne Priory and in 664 AD St Cuthburt visited the island. St Cuthburt later became Bishop in 685AD and after his death was buried on the island. Some time later (argued as being a few years after his death) his casket was reopened with his body showed no signs of decay, due to this hundreds of people began making pilgrimage to the island. But due to fears of a Viking invasion his body was moved, alongside ancient relics and artefacts to keep them safe (which is just as well as the Vikings did invade the island killing a number of monks).

To this day monks are sighted crossing the original rock causeway, which connected the island to the mainland. But it’s not just monks who are seen, St Cuthbert himself is known to make an appearance. He is seen walking around the Priory and castle grounds in his robes, as well as being seen sat on the shore making what’s known locally as ‘Cuddy’s Beads’. It’s even said that on nights where there is a full moon you can hear St Cuthbert making the beads.

There is a further apparition on the island which is that of an unknown soldier seen in the castle, thought to be from Cromwell’s time.

Number 4: Dunstanburgh Castle

Dunstanburgh Castle was once Northumberland’s largest castle enclosing 9.96 acres of land within it’s grounds. It was built in 1313 by the 2nd Earl of Lancaster, Thomas Plantagenet, and was fortified in the 1380s. Now standing in ruins it remains home to a few ghosts and one well known story.

The ghost of Thomas himself wonders the grounds, he met his end by execution (beheading) and is seen carrying his head.

Another ghost rumoured to walk the halls is that of Margaret of Anjou, who was wife of Henry VI and a knight known as Sir Guy.

His tale is one of the best known stories of the castle. According to legend, Sir Guy was once a knight who got caught in a storm finding shelter in the ruins of the castle. While taking up shelter in the gatehouse section of the ruins he saw a hideous figure dressed in white who becanned Sir Guy to follow. He was told if he followed he would be rewarded by a ‘beauty bright‘. He followed the figure up a narrow winding staircase into a room where 100 knight were sleeping along with their horses. In the centre of the room slept a beautiful maiden, on each side of her were serpent statues, one held a sword and the other horn. The figure told him the maiden would wake if he chose the correct item. He chose the horn. He blew the horn which caused all 100 knights to wake and charged at Sir Guy causing him to faint. As he was fainting the figure approached him and said ‘now shame on the coward who sounded the horn, and the knight who sheathed a sword‘. When Sir Guy awoke, he was lying back in the gatehouse. From that night on he kept searching for the maiden but never saw her again. It’s said his ghost is seen wandering the castle on a stormy night still searching for her.

Number 3: Bamburgh Castle

Bamburgh Castle, as you might guess by its name, is located in the village of Bamburgh sitting up high on rocks by the North Sea.

The castle that stands today was rebuilt around the 11th Century but there has been an important structure here since the Celtic period. There was a celtic Brittonic Fort on this site known as Din Guarie. From here it pasted a few times between the Britains and Saxons, and in 590 AD was controlled by the Anglo-Saxons. In 993 AD the Vikings invaded, with a new castle being built in its place by the Normans which forms the core of the castle that stands today.

Bamburgh Castle is rumoured to have at least 7 ghosts on site including 2 female spirits. The first of which is The Pink Lady.

Her story goes that centuries ago a young princesses father sent her beloved away to sea for 7 years as he did not approve of the relationship. Her father tried to cheer his daughter up and decided to have a dress made for her in her favourite colour pink. During her final.fitting she climbed the stairs to the highest battlements and threw herself onto the rocks below. It’s said that her spirit returns every 7 years dressed in a pink dress where she wanders the castle before repeating her final moments.

The second female spirit is that of The Green Lady, as you can tell from the name she is dressed in green. She is seen in a green shawl carrying a bundle down some steps where witnesses state they see her fall, believing her to be a real person run to her aid only to find no-one there.

Other activity includes apparitions of s knight and soldier, misty and shadowy figures, whispers, footsteps, rattling chains and the feeling of being touched by an unseen force.

Number 2: The Schooner Hotel

The Schooner Hotel is located in the Northumberland village of Alnmouth and has held the title of The Most Haunted Hotel in Britain, not once but twice.

It’s a 1600’s coaching inn believed to hold 60 individual ghosts, with over 3000 registered accounts of paranormal activity and has stories of suicide and murder, with activity on the rise.

Room 28 is said to have the most activity, thus room was once a seen to a family massacre. Guests staying in this room say they can hear children talking and crying, a women screaming and feel an overwhelming sense of fear alongside feeling an unseen force in the room.

Moving on to rooms 16 and 17, both rooms have guests reporting seeing a figure standing at the end of the beds and in the corridor outside the rooms. The figure in the corridor is reported to be a young boy who enjoys knocking on the doors.

In rooms 28, 29 and 30 knocks, bangs and whispering are heard with visitors feeling dizzy dread and sickness in these rooms.

Other activity in the Hotel includes a soldier walking the corridors and a maid who appears on the stairs.

While this is not all the witness accounts, if you’re feeling brave you could book to spend the night here and add your tales to the recorded accounts.

Number 1: Chillingham Castle

Topping this list is Chillingham Castle. Not only described as the most haunted castle in Northumberland, it also holds the title in Britain.

Chillingham Castle is a 13th Century castle known for its torture chamber and being a stronghold for English and Scottish attacks.

There are said to be around 6 ghosts haunting the castle with the most notable being The Blue Boy.

The Blue Boy himself does not seem to appear in the history books but what has been found in the castle raises some interesting questions. The Blue Boy is haunts to Pink Room where some people have seen him and others seeing s ball of blue light. His cries could be heard crying out in pain or fear at midnight with a halo of blue light seemingly to come out of the wall in this room. Interestingly in the 1920s renovation works were taking place where builders were cutting through The Tower Wall in The Pink Room and found fragments of child size bones alongside pieces of blue fabric.

There is also the White Pantry Ghost, who is seen to this day in the inner pantry abd described as a pale, frail lady dressed in white. One of the most known stories is that when the castles silver was kept in the pantry, a guard would be placed on duty to guard it. However, one day the gaurd guarding the silver was about to fall asleep when a lady appeared asking for water. Thinking she was one of the castle’s guests he obeyed her request only to realise that all the doors to the room were locked and no-one other than him could be in the room.

Other sightings include Lady Mary Berkeley, the wife of Lord Grey of Walk and Chillingham who is seen walking the halls in search of her husband.

In general visitors also report hearing disembodied voices, talking, feeling a dark and creepy sensation alongside feeling a general oppressive atmosphere. Ghost hunts and tours take place here with those attending witnessing the castle’s paranormal activity.

That’s my top five most haunted list, do you think others should have made the list?

Lussi

In the final day of The 12 days of Frightmass, allow me to introduce Lussi from Norwegian and Swedish folklore.

In the past Lussi was described as a hideous demon, she was evil and possessed magical powers spreading mayhem where ever she went.

Her initial story described her as being similar to other beings I’ve mentioned in this series, including Frau Percha and Krampus. Stories about her stated that on the Night before St Lucia’s Day (13th December) also known as Lussi’s Night, a night when evil spirits and demons were said to walk the Earth, adults would spend the night warding off the evil beings while the children had to be good. If the children didn’t behave then Lussi would destroy property, livestock and even kidnap the children. She was known on occasion to kill. In some stories she only kills children who are not in bed.

There was a tradition known as Lussevaka where households would stay up all night in order to protect both the home and their families.

It is customary to this day to hide brooms on Christmas Eve as a way to ensure you prevent evil spirits from joining St Lucia’s proccession on Lussinatta.

In more modern years (beginning in the 18th and 19th Centuries) Lussi is depicted as the opposite. On St Lucia’s Day in both Norway and Sweden a local girl is selected to be St Lucia. She is dressed in a white gown with a red sash and is given a wreath of candles to wear on her head. She then parades through the town followed by a procession of girls all dressed in white, each of whom hold a candle and sing songs dedicated to St Lucia.

Lussi moved away from evil to a kind being, one was is believed in Tyrol to have joined St Nicholas to give gifts. St Nicholas gave to boys, while Lussi gives to girls.

The Tomten

We’re nearly at the end of The 12 Days of Frightmass, but there are two more folklore beings to introduce so in day 11 here is The Tomten.

The Tomten stem from Scandinavian folklore and are listed in a lot of literature. They are around 3 foot tall, with long white beards often resembling a garden gnome. They wear a red cap and traditional farmers clothing, these were a woollen tunic, a belt, knee breeches and stockings. In some folklore stories their appearance is slightly different, some tales list them as shape shifters being able to take the form of a man, others as a cyclops or are even invisible (with humans only getting a slight glimpse of them). In modern day Denmark they no longer have beards wearing grey and red woollen clothes, along with a red cap. In Norway, they are said to have four fingers, pointed ears and have eyes that reflect similar to those of a cat.

The Tomten also go by a number of names such as:

Nisse – Tomte – Tomtenisse – Tomttu

To make it easier to distinish old tales from modern ones different names are applied, for example in modern tales they are referred to as Tomar/Tontarna but in older tales they go by Tomten.

In general they are small creatures who pack a big temper.

They spend their lives looking after farms, in particular a farms livestock, but they are easily offended by rudeness (e.g. by workers swearing or not treating animals well) or by a disregard for tradition (e.g. changes in the way a farm works). If a Tomten were to be offended they could either do small pranks like hitting you, or worse they would kill livestock.

A Tomten’s favourite food is said to be porridge with butter in the middle which farmers are supposed to leave out as a payment for their help and assistance on the farm.

In fact the Tomten like porridge so much that their are stories illustrating their more temperamental side when something happens to their meal. Here are two examples:

One day a Norwegian maid ate a Tomten’s porridge leaving the Tomten angry. In his anger, he beats up the maid leaving her almost dead.
One day a farmer left out porridge for the Tomten, when the Tomten went to eat his meal he noticed that there was no butter in the middle filling the Tomten with rage. In this rage, the Tomten went outside and killed one of the farmers’ cow’s. This act left the Tomten hungry and so he went back inside and ate the porridge. On eating the porridge he found that the butter was there, but rather than being in the middle it was underneath the porridge filling the Tomten with grief for what he did. The Tomten left to try and find a cow identical to the one he killed, when he found one he swopped the cows over.

The stories and descriptions so far do not relate to Christmas, so you might ask why I have mentioned them. Well the answer is quite simple.

Since the 1840s they have been depicted as gift givers.

They can be seen on Christmas Eve, accompanied by the Yule Goat, knocking on doors to give out presents. In keeping with some of the more traditional older stories, you are expected to leave out porridge with a little butter for them (similar to that of carrots, milk and mince pies for Santa).

This transition began to see Tomten stories and drawings describing them more like Santa in appearance, they now appear on Christmas cards with increased commercialisation.

The Kallikantzaroi

In day 10 of The 12 Days of Frightmas allow me to introduce to you to a Greek creature, The Kallikantzaroi.

Originating in folklore in southeastern Europe and in Anatolian folklore, stories of the Kallikantzaroi can be found in Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia, Albania, Bosnia, Cyprus, Austria, Bavaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Northern Italy, Slovakia and Slovenia. Although it’s exact origin is unknown, it is believed to be pre-Christan in theory but they have been mentioned in Christian traditions since the 17th Century.

Just like their origin can’t be pinpointed, neither can their description. The most common description is that they are small black creatures with a long tail, like that of the Devil, are mostly blind and eat small creatures. In central Europe the Kallikantzaroi are said to be horned, and look like a cross between a goat and demon.

Other descriptions have the Kallikantzaroi as being enourmass, small humans in appearence, they are said to be male, with long tongues and made up of various animal parts including horses legs and boar tusks. Some tales say they are covered in hair.

The main story for the Kallikantzaroi is that they spend the year underground sawing through the tree of life, which runs through the centre of the Earth. Every year during the 12 days of Christmas they feel an urge to come up to ground where they wonder the Earth. During this time they have nearly sawn through the tree of life , but when they return underground the tree has healed and they begin again repeating this cycle over and over.

Above ground they cause mischief and chaos.

In particular, they will find and steal babies born during the 12 days of Christmas (25th December – 5th January) turning them into Kallikantzaroi.

They could enter your home in a number of ways including:

Chimneys, windows, doors, keyholes and even cracks in the walls.

It was even thought that if you were born on a Saturday you could see and talk to them.

There are ways to protect yourself from the Kallikantzaroi.

Here are a few:

Place a calender on your doorstep: it’s believed that they cannot count to the number 3 because it is deemed a Holy number, as a result the creatures feared the number because to say it would mean they would die. So they would keep starting to count again only to reach 3 and have to stop. They would keep trying until the sun came up forcing them to retreat until the night returns.
Burn a fire all night: This would prevent them from climbing down the chimney.
Placing a black cross on your door.
Burning insense.
Burning smelly items on the fire: Thought the smell would keep them away.

In the end, they disappear on the Epiphany, where the cycle starts all over.