Newcastle upon Tyne sits on an ancient site of human occupation. So it’s hardly surprising that offerings to Roman gods can be found among its archaeology. In 2018, I spotted these altars in the Great North Museum at Hancock. I’m fascinated by the way Roman gods show up in Britain, so I decided to delve […]
northern folklore
Dragons in Folklore: The Lambton Worm and the Laidly Worm
When you think of dragons in folklore, you might think of graceful Chinese dragons or treasure-hoarding lizards like Tolkien’s Smaug. Jacqueline Simpson and Steve Roud note that within the Church, dragons always represented evil. Meanwhile, in the secular world, they stood for “ferocity in battle” (2003: 98). This explains their popularity on family crests, and […]
John Dee: The Magician and the Devil in Manchester
What does an Elizabethan mathematician, a northern pre-industrial town, and Beelzebub have in common? Answer? They all appear in the tale of John Dee and the Devil in Manchester. Dee, immortalised in the opera Dr Dee by Blur’s Damon Albarn, is a fascinating figure in Britain’s occult history. He even inspired a deck of oracle cards, The […]
The Dark Side of Sheffield Folklore: Spectres and River Spirits
We’ve been moving around the north of England this month, in honour of the Great Exhibition of the North. After Newcastle, Manchester and York, we’re moving on to Sheffield folklore. Much like York, a plethora of ghost stories and sightings come up in a casual Google search. But let’s cast the net a little wider […]
Devils, Cats, Tiny Streets & Witches: York Folklore At Its Best
York folklore can be a bit tough to search for on Google. It keeps trying to direct you to New York. As if the old one doesn’t exist. Which is idiotic. The Ghost Research Foundation International even labelled York the most haunted city in the world in 2002. Every pub boasts its own ghost. But […]
Who is the River God Tyne on the side of the Civic Centre?
Newcastle and Gateshead are currently awash with adverts for the Great Exhibition of the North. The aim is to promote the art, design and innovation in the region now. But what of its heritage and culture? We’ve played host to the Romans, the Vikings, and indigenous British tribes. With that in mind, let’s meet the mighty […]
