Hikey Spriteswillbeafteryou,ifyou arenaughty’.I
E didn'tknow what theywere,I thinka sortoffairy We knew the Hey prites - Re thing, but I knew they would come after me. It can be The memoriesofsevenNorfolkpeople HikeyorHiker”.
LE
PE
A
Val A a Bob(89) Met in Fakenham 12-5-2008 = \ Met in the Forum Norwich
P 17-4-2009
y
— da “There were some councilhouses in Kirby Bedon, 1had Ms “Mum talkedaboutHikey Sprites,theycame outin topassthem everyday on theway home fromschool. thedark,ofcoursetherewas no electricitythen.Ispent An oldladylivedinthe lastone,shealwaysusedto | my childhood in Griston.Older childrenused todare say as we passed,“Hurry you home girl,beforethem meto walk pasta gap ina hedge,wherea hosefrom a Highty Spritesgetyou’.didn’t know what theywere, tractionengine passed through, they said the Hikey but Iwas glad to get home”. Spriteswere there”.
Bob,relivinghisfear,demonstrated in the Forum how he Nigel(65) gingerlycrept pastthatgap. Metat the Royal Norfolk Show | 1-7-2009
Nigel gaveme informationbutalso saidhe would make enquiriesofhis ninety-two year old mother when he visitedher.He laterrang me with his Met in Southrepps 21-10-2008 findings.
“Itwas a night-timething,everyonein Kerdistone “We spent our childhoodin Themelthorpe. When we used to talk about them. They would say, “Get you were kids mum would say, ifwe were naughty, ‘The Hikey Spriteswillget home beforedark,do theHikey Spriteswillgetyou’.It you’.Ishareda bedroom with was common between the Wars”. my sisterGill,ifwe werenoisymum would say,‘Be
you quietortheHikey Spriteswillgetyou’.Ithink Nigel’smother was born during the FirstWorld War. they were a sortofelf,ratherevil littlethings”.
Daphne (i76) Metat a bus stopinTrowse 16-4-2009
“I grew up in Strumpshaw. Mum used to say, ‘The 32 33
maybe Hikey Sprites,most certainly Da dl Now for an encounter with fairies, Will-o’-the-Wisp. From Marsham,letterpublishedin E.D.P. 23-3-2009
«1remember theseHikey Sprites,orHikeSpikesaswe
calledthem. My granny would warn us thatthey Hilary > Story
would, ‘Get us ifwe were bad’.But they neverdid! Great Hospital,in Bishopgate,Norwichin Perhaps we weren’t bad enough”. I MET HILARY,A RESIDENTof the questionand in replyHilarytoldthis August 2009. I askedmyusual leading David who comes from a millingfamily (awater mill)gave me further words: wonderful evocativestory.I give itin her own informationby telephone. «we livedin Postwick,my dad worked at Grange «GrandfathertalkedaboutHydraspriteswhichlived Farm. Every sunday evening thefamily,my parents, in water,the millpooland the well.My brother,1 my sistersandmyselfattendedthe6.30evensong think,coined the word Hi ke sprike”. serviceat Postwickchurch,itwas expectedofus. Howversatile the Hikey traditionis! when evensongended,at about 7.30,mum went home withtheyoungestchildrentoputthem tobed. Roland It was Dad and 1 walked down the loke to the marsh. Born and brought up in Docking in theearly 1930s themarsh was coveredwitha blanketof Informationsuppliedby hisfriendAnn 14-9-2009 gettingdark, miston thetopwhichflickeredand dancedamazing
“My oldmum was always on aboutthe Hi Rey Sprites. yellow.1held littleflames,blue,tingedatthe topwith come ifwe were behaving She toldus they would my dad'shand awe-struck,‘they arefairies/hesaid. would come when we were in badly,we thought they we walkedhomein silence,my mindfull ofwonder- 1 punish us oreven takeus away. Ithinkthey in bed and had seenfairies!Erom thatday tothismy belief a kindofverylargegoblin’. were fairieswasneverindoubt”.
account from the north-west corner of the county is a harsh Hertfordshire.Had This Hilary’smum was a Postwick girlbutJack came from of the Hikeys.It isnot difficultto empathisewith young Roland, they areHikey Sprites’. portrayal he been a localladhe might have said,Look Hilary in bed, in the dark,alertand apprehensive,awaitinghisnight-time visitor.lt helpfulthe was a rathersevereway ofgetting Roland totake heed”,however intention. 55 34
36
another
how
conveyed
you”. same over
living warned,
knew childhood
writing Foxley
(inny),
lanterns
an
camping
proprietors, were to
naughtiness”.
his
will
Horstead,
unfortunately
is a
have enquiries
case
Ne
TAM
future,
now
inducement
tell
But
On
long
character.
Is
say
warning.
a
Joan
going
before
CONFIDENT
fifty
in
the
cast
the
the
Wood.
fields
Hikey
continuous
born
recorded.
of
to everyday
carried that
a
those
it
entirely
let
have
Hikey
in
larger
this
their
at has
his
word
children,
will
years
somewhere,
husband
us
I
Here,
if
in
connection
not Keeling
wife,
Terry
Walking
in
and,
began
issued
was
villages,
been
they
hope
survive
on
nets
1928,
prites
This
a used
scale
perhaps?
Sprites
MORE
orally
use
to
“If
rather
their
nearly
“Where's
period
in
staying
met little
were
as
far
tidying
for and
my
her
in
you
be
one
though
Hall,
at
in
before
back
without
PEOPLE
we “Mind
backs”.
a
and
with
a
well,
too
with
researches over-detailed,
grandchildren
troublesome,
wife,
the
that
complete,
are
family?
family,
long
enigmatical
hday
of
with
saw
between
young
wide
noisy,
through
quiet,
a
Ivy
her
family,
moving
knew
a
now
more
both
the
blank
An
will
time.
dog.
the
before
we
them,
Well
garden.
Farm
and
interesting
at
Hyter
Hikey
at
now
two in
I
If
help
recall
can
by
them than
stare,’
It
night,
decided
night,
Foulsham
fey
Foxley
to
an
fanciful
in
although
“The
the that
has
and
the
uses
be
years
see
Holiday
Sprites
of
inhabitant
Foxley.
late
Sprite?”
everyday
It
their
one
as,
much,
aware
little
among
even
same
you
the
great-grandchildren
the
written
soon
the
link
Hikey
to village
‘ghosts’.
ago.
September
form.
hundred
Hikey
parents
might
Hyter
and
that fellow
spend
as
don’t
appeared
Joan’s
means,
of
Park
term
to
became
Not
the
My
your
one
way?
of
sources.
tradition
the
Sprites
Themelthorpe,
I
could
see
get
our
She
in Sprites
his
an
supportive
into
to
encountered
goes
five
Hikey
saying,
fellow
said,
Lantern
clear
and
It
2009,
them,
Overstrand,
hour
you!”
on
name
county describe,
described
have
girls
certainly
will Who
missing
“Most
the
the
or fifty
than
live
campers.
when
with
stretching
when
They
that
with
mind,
Man
future been
were
be
internet
now
knows contacts
two
on
was
little
years,
like
of
“mild
lost
Terry
Joan
Joan
after
all
later
they
is
the
her
and
the
the
but the
has
my
the
in
— in
come
SO while entity
more not
fragment
perhaps. Something
confined enjoyed appeal though.
fear forces
hiding-places outlaws,
bizarre outcast,
voice. would
the
keep of
taking to people
although children.
Hikey
WHAT
First
Do
controlling easily
Do
children.
Hikey These
of
than
that I
them
and to
In
shuffle
we
have Final
of
place. dark
we
Sprite unacceptable
something A
of
those
have
to Janet of ARE neo-pagans forgotten,
those fugitives
has
just
her
entities,
relative, have fears, lay
all
have
away an
carvings
the
brought
places,
Families been
Gradually WE
for
a mum what
have revealed a in
recalcitrant sad
alternative
villages,
few Hey
told here word.
eventually
an
from
such
OMAKE TO the spiritual
my souls
human,
and maybe,
of
a been dread
was a
ideas. forests echo,
on
me, and
name the
behaviour,
kidnapped
great
created a
companion areas deeply
isolated
to
‘Ben Norfolk the not comeback brigands,
driven
Fhoughts
the recorded tenuous
religious
a
youngsters, realm,
me of coalesced animal
to to in
dialect
of
“bogey of folk
a
practitioners
rooted juggle Norfolk
their the their
particular, risk
Bolt’
this
their
by
out a
their
and memory
church
remains
for
woodwose,
and
in where the sheltered spirit
name, tradition,
man’ in
Hikey
communities.
own
was of
with,
feelings.
into those
my own
nearly
originally
recent
strange
woman.
surrounding
nameless
research. their
fonts) of
the concept
version where
enterprises HIKEY
the of
of
of
a
Sprite
unique
on
the
name two
contemporary
favoured reduced
communities years. nefarious that
something All
ubiquitous
appearance,
the
the
Some
or
wild,
perhaps
horrors? might
years?
possible.
of
was
tradition,
I
deep, the
Wild
to
run.
This
name wonder SPRITE!
of
deep
the
of
of
enjoy.
now
transferred
Green
bogey
It
So,
have
dubious woodland, those profound,
practices,
bogey, Man to pagan, certainly
‘bogey
forest,
Forests
for also if
their hold
to because
control
magic.
Surely, this
lurked Man
of
, who
a
the
(now this
Once
sheltered
a
folk a such
man’, odd
nature you nie her
harboured
number exclusively
surviving
of
genesis has
Not
primeval who
provided though,
chose
adults, threat
of
largely belief? sinister
parents,
hard”,
people gait heard
earth
a great
their
were sure
way has
the
the
or
of
to
37 to of
We i aregettingcloseto the tradition,gathering togethermere fragments i atthistwilight stageofthe belief,to tryand makesenseof it.A century and i more ago the Hikey would have à . been a discreteconcept,now itmerges and í A Nght-tim E Woodland Encounter flowswith otherfolkbeliefs,our hold onitis tentative.Twenty-fiveyearsago an my taskwould have beeneasier, my findingsmore focused and cohesive,the IN APRIL 2009 I HAD A STALL at an event in the Forum, Norwich.| resultingbook more Pa ; | ; ! ' prominently displayedthisposterappealingforinformationon the Hikeys, ; Ifyou ars a “asliever,you may be isa pointed that itwas not my H hoping to collectmaterialformy research.A young man, Robert, probably intenten to produce a fieldguide forthe Hikey — although I have described €: in hisearlytwenties, the habitatsthey favour.I cannot adviseyou on came forward with thisinterestinglittleepisode. how to identifythem, not iat much abouttheir habits, theirfood,their habitations.Yet for me, at the end , UN couple of weeks ago of thisproject,they do we were camping in Horsford feel“real”.So,ata personallevel,I can saythereare L Wood. Igotout ofmy placesin theNorfolk tentat about 2 a.m.toanswer a landscape,on heathswhere thesunintensifies thescent Y sed ofgorsebloom,where one gets a glimpseof a shydeer,wherelithe birch EN callofnature.Iwas surprisetosee,outof the treessway in + cornerof the wind, there I have feltthe Hikeys are hiding in the bracken,
to my eye,little among the heather. figure(heusedbisbands toindicatea So too,inAutumn woodland when my feetshufflethe
dry leaves,the wind swishesin eo heightofrocms orso)running the treetops and a “plop”marks the fallof an by.1didwt know what acorn or conker — therethey arealmostwithin reach,almost. itwas’tillsawthepictureonyourstall- itlookedjust While our county retainsits largelyruralqualityand some preciousareas likethat! remain beyond the reach of trafficsound and away from the most severe lightpollution, À some magical landscapeswillremain to give us inspiration, refreshment, calm. There the Hikey Sprite will remain, ever elusive,liminal, enigmatic, a justbeyond our touch. AAA In such places, my reader,you may roam as the lightfades,your senses keen and alert,watchful and sensitive,then you may feel the Hikey’s ee presence.Do notbe fearful,with luck,you may have encountered them,all iswell,justbelieve.
A For me, atthe end of myresearch, I am gladto have been aware of them and had theircompanyall this time.Now thoughit istime topartfrom both the Hikeys and ] you my valued reader.Itistime to say a fond,‘fare y’well A tergether’. y + Ray ' November 2009 p
4 Do You KNOW ABOUT THE b HIKEY SPRITES? IF So | PLEASE TELL RAY. THIS IS HOW DICK ,;WHO LIVED IN SPARHAM IN THE MAGINED THEM. 1930s, i 38 39