By the Sussex Centre for Folklore, Fairy Tales and Fantasy. Based on Research by Prof
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
A Map of Folklore in Sussex and South Downs By the Sussex Centre for Folklore, Fairy Tales and Fantasy. Based on research by Prof. Jacqueline Simpson. APR 11 DEC APR 90 93 32 41 13 JUN OCT 2 28 32 MAY 25 JUL 26 36 AY 97 MAR 16 M 33 55 27 JUL 9 19 28 JAN 34 NOV 89 91 3 36 JAN DEC 96 95 NOV 88 3 38 45 94 APR OCT 63 60 16 FEB MAY 11 31 75 DEC JAN 5 MAY 24 37 a MAY 40 44 3 j NOV 21 61 22 17 DEC 38 JAN 43 92 h 41 31 30 JAN 3 82 81 JAN APR APR 3 OCT 11 65 51 i 39 3 31 15 5 1 72 85 21 84 50 APR49 APR APR MAY OV e c NOV DEC 58 N 7 43 DEC 11 11 11 23 35 22 11 38 40 59 48 APR 87 45 53 78 42 f 10 DEC 4 54 79 77 12 38 DEC MAR 45 8 k 19 MAR 66 69 64 JAN DEC NOV 8 3 15 MAY 45 67 13 JAN10 57 NOV 71 1 46 33 EC 29 14 APR JAN NOV MAY 18 74 52 D 4 APR FEB 34 70 68 g 11 2 38 17 12 39 6 FEB DEC 47 6 27 25 d APR 12 AUG MAY 56 76 9 APR 23 APR 7 SEP 42 46 20 DEC 14 MAY 29 22 18 12 NOV 11 80 30 83 45 20 37 b 24 62 86 JUN MAY 26 20 73 44 DEC 45 APR 45 11 APR 12 35 Illustrated map © Abi Daker. KEY How to use this map: Bell tale Bus route Church found- Devil Black dogs Dragons Fairies Gallows and 1. Zoom in and click on an icon to be taken to its folktale. ation tales & other beasts other ends 2. Clicking on place-names in the folktales take you to the Ghosts Giants and King Arthur Railway South Downs Stones Treasure Witches location on the map (at the top left of your screen). ogres Way APR The Turning Year (red denotes current traditions) Who lived here? www.chi.ac.uk/scfff 11 APR 11 DEC 32 41 OCT West Sussex 2 28 32 36 AY 26 M 33 JUL 19 NOV 28 JAN 34 27 Lyminster: Knucker Hole, from the Anglo-Saxon nicor, ‘water monster’, held a dragon. 3 36 Local man Jim Pulk/Puttock baked a poisonous pie for the dragon; unfortunately some of the poison stayed on Pulk’s hand and he died wiping his mouth after a celebratory pint. Another version says a wandering knight killed him and was offered the king’s APR OCT daughter by way of thanks. His tomb can still be seen inside the church, with faint marks 16 supposed to be the hero’s sword laid across the dragon’s ribs. (Simpson 2002, 34-9; MAY 11 31 DEC JAN Westwood & Simpson 2005, 732) The church has a stained-glass depiction of the tale. 24 37 a Suggested walk. 40 44 3 28 Nowhurst: see Alfoldean. Nowhurst Lane, RH12 3PJ, on the West Sussex Literary Trail. 17 29 Poling: at the former Preceptory of the Knights Hospitallers, you might hear ghostly organ music and Gregorian chant. (Simpson 2002, 46) Suggested walk. JAN h 41 31 30 30 Pulborough: Toat Tower is said to contain a man buried with his horse, both upside down. JAN 3 (Simpson 2002, 42) Start at Black Gate Lane. JAN 3 OCT 31 Pulborough Mount/Park Mound: treasure is said to be buried here. (Simpson 2002, 23) 39 3 A fairy funeral was once seen at this spot. (Simpson 2002, 56) Start at Stopham Road. 1 31 5 21 32 Rudgwick: see Alfoldean. Suggested walk. 33 St Leonard’s Forest, nr Horsham: St Leonard lived here and killed a dragon. Wild lilies sprang up where the saint’s blood had dripped, and the nightingales, who had interrupted e c NOV DEC 7 43 his prayers, were silenced. It was believed the woods were full of monstrous snakes, and 22 11 38 40 a nine-foot dragon, or serpent, was seen here in 1614. (Simpson 2002, 31-4) f DEC 4 ‘Squire Paulett’ is a headless ghost who would cling to passing horse riders until they 42 10 38 reached the other side of the forest. (Simpson 2002, 46) 45 8 34 At Mike Mills’ Race, noted smuggler Mike Mills raced the devil in return for his condemned 3 19 MAR 15 soul, won and became immortal. (Simpson 2002, 65; Westwood & Simpson 2005, 737) 13 14 A former coaching road (Church Lane to Titch Hill) from Lancing to Steyning near here is Suggested walk. 8 29 haunted by a highwayman who was hanged at Lychpole Manor. (Simpson 2002, 44) See JAN 35 Selsey Bill: the bells of the sunken cathedral of St Wilfred still ring underwater. (Simpson DEC NOV EC g AN on O.S. map. 2002, 20) Start at East Beach car park. 6 12 D 14 JUN APR J 46 33 27 4 15 Clapham Woods: from 1975 a few dogs went missing or were injured. A local gamekeeper 36 Slinfold bell: see Alfoldean. Suggested walk. 39 26 11 2 used to kill any dogs he caught in the woods, but some claimed they were kidnapped by 20 37 Stedham: An old woman here could stop carters’ wagons, until the carters cut or flogged 25 d APR UFOs or sacrificed to Hecate by black magicians. (Simpson 2002, 76) Suggested walk. 9 APR 23 the wheels, which cut the woman’s hands; she herself admitted this to the carters. DEC OV 14 16 Cowdray: Following the Dissolution of the monasteries, a prioress of Easebourne Abbey (Simpson 2002, 69) Start at Elsted Road car park. 12 N cursed the future owners of the land ‘by fire and water, thy line shall come to an end and 18 24 MAY 38 Steyning: St Cuthman pushed his mother in a wheelbarrow from Devon to Sussex looking 45 37 it shall perish out of this land’. Alternatively the curse was aimed at Sir Anthony Browne, b 20 for a heavenly sign to build a church; his wheelbarrow broke at this spot. (Simpson 2002, who was granted Battle Abbey and pulled down its church. A mere 250 years and eight 17) Suggested walk. families later, the curse came true: the house burned down following repairs in 1793 and the 8th Viscount drowned in the Rhine a few days later. (Ref.) Suggested walk. 39 Telegraph Hill, nr Compton: Bevis’s Thumb, a fine prehistoric long barrow named after the Sussex giant, is here. (Simpson 2002, 28) Suggested walk (pdf). 17 East Harting: Mother Digby was a witch who could turn into a hare. As above, one day a huntsman’s hound bit a hare’s leg, and the next day she was seen with a wounded leg. 40 Torberry/Tarberry Hill, nr South Harting: There’s treasure here: Who knows what (Simpson 2002, 67) She lived in Hog’s Lane, now no more. Suggested walk. Tarberry would bear/Would [or Must] plough it with a golden share. (Simpson 2002, 23) 18 East Preston: The Roundstone Pub is named after a criminal or suicide who was buried at The fairies can be seen dancing here on Midsummer’s Eve. (Simpson 2002, 56) a crossroads under a millstone with the stake put through the millstone’s hole. (Simpson This hill was formed when the Devil burnt his lips supping from the Devil’s Punch Bowl 35 6 Bosham church: Vikings stole the church bell and tied it to their ship. The monks rang 2002, 44) in Surrey and threw his spoon away. (Simpson 2002, 59) Start at South Harting village; the remaining bells and the stolen bell replied, wrenching itself from the moorings and 19 Harrow Hill, nr Patching: the last home of the fairies in England. (Simpson 2002, 56) follow O.S. map to hill. crashing through the hull, taking the raiders with it. It now lies in Bosham Deep, formerly Suggested walk. 41 Treyford Hill: the Devil’s Jumps were used by the devil to jump over, which annoyed Bell Hole, and still answers when the church bells ring. (Simpson 2002, 18-19; Westwood Thor, who threw his hammer at him. The devil ran away but his jumps are still there. & Simpson 2005, 723-5) 20 Highdown Hill, nr Worthing: John Oliver built his tomb, the Miller’s Tomb, while he was still alive and is said to be buried in it upside down so as to be the right way up when the (Simpson 2002, 58-9) Start by Monkton House (private property). Bevis the Giant used to wash his dogs here on the way to Arundel from Southampton, world ends and everything is topsy-turvy. He meditated by it every day and also kept a 42 Trundle: Aaron’s Golden Calf or a mass of Viking treasure is said to be buried here, with and gave the church his staff (maybe the village maypole being stored) (Simpson 2002, coffin under his bed. It is thought he was a smuggler: he ‘meditated’ on the hill as a look- a ghostly calf to guard it. (Simpson 2002, 22; Westwood & Simpson 2005, 731) Start at 28) Suggested walk. out, used his mill to send signals, and kept contraband in the coffin. If you run round it Trundle/St Roche’s Hill car park or try this suggested walk. 7 Bow Hill: if you run around the Devil’s Humps six times you will summon the devil.