Name ▲▼ | Origin ▲▼ | Description ▲▼ |
---|---|---|
King name "Thrummy Cap" | Britain | A sprite described in Northumberland fairy tales as a "queer-looking little auld man," whose exploits are generally laid in the cellans of old castles. Britain |
"Toutatis or Teutates" | Britain | A tribal protector worshipped in ancient Gaul and Britain. |
King name "Vivien" | Britain | Lady of the lake. Vivien, mistress of Merlin, the enchanter, who lived in the midst of an imaginary lake, surrounded by knights and damsels. Tennyson, in the Idylls of the king, tells the story of Vivien and Merlin. Britain |
King name "Waking a Witch" | Britain | If a witch was obdurate, the most effectual way of obtaining a confession was by what was termed "waking her." For this purpose an iron bridle or hoop was bound across her face with four prongs thrust into her mouth. The "bridle" was fastened behind to the wall by a chain in such a manner that the victim was unable to lie down; and in this position she was kept sometimes for several days, while men were constantly by to keep her awake. Britain |
"Wokey" | Britain | Wicked as the Witch of Wokey. Wookey-hole is a noted cavern in Somersetshire, which has given birth to as many weird stories as the Sibyls' Cave in Italy. The Witch of Wokey was metamorphosed into stone by a "lerned wight" from Gaston, but left her curse behind, so that the fair damsels of Wokey rarely find "a gallant." Britain |
Spirit name "Wrath's Hole" | Britain | The legend is that Bolster, a gigantic wrath or evil spirit, paid embarråśśing attention to St. Agnes, who told him she would listen to his suit when he filled with his blood a small hole which she pointed out to him. The wrath joyfully accepted the terms, but the hole opened into the sea, and the wrath, being utterly exhausted, St. Agnes pushed him over the cliff. cornwall, Britain |
Spirit name "Yeth-Hounds" | Britain | Dogs without heads, said to be the spirits of unbaptised children, which ramble among the woods at night, making wailing noises. Devonshire, Britain |