We can't have a #WitchWednesday without the Janet Tree and the tale of the knitting witch of Shap more in "Folklore of the Lake District" by Stephen G. Rae film by Land of Lore Films #folklore #lakedistrict #indiefilm
Stephen G. Rae
@stephengrae.bsky.social
Writer of folklore at The FolkLore Press; Druid and Storyteller alias the Bard of Cumberland; contemporary artist; filmmaker at Land of Lore Films; Haiku poet.
Ralph Bakshi's gorgeous, rotoscoped, and incredibly dark animated version of THE LORD OF THE RINGS (1978) was, at times, like a nightmare to my 9 year-old self. I had particular problems with the creepy Nazgûl, especially during this famous scene...
Roggenmuhme the Rye-mother, used as a cautionary tale to discourage children from trampling crops from my "Boggarts, Brownies, Hobs and their Goblin Kin" folklorepress.co.uk art: Igor Krstic #wyrdwednesday
#OwlAwarenessDay In Cumbrian dialects, 'hullet' is owl Owl is one of the 'Three Elders of the World', the others are Eagle and Blackbird. An owl appearing in your dreams represents transformation and hidden wisdom. 📷 Roy Rimmer
The Kirkstone Pass Inn dates back to the 15th Century. The ghost of Ruth Ray haunts the inn, warning visitors when the weather turns bad; she froze to death nearby. There's also the Grey Lady, blamed for poltergeist activity more in: "Folklore of the Lake District" #spookysunday #bookworm
Urien ap Cynfarch Oer (d.590), King of Rheged. There's a song featuring him, by Taliesin the Welsh Bard. An excerpt: "I carry a head on my belt The head of generous Urien" more in my "Folklore of the Lake District" folklorepress.co.uk #bookwormsat art: The Bard by Benjamin West
It's #YorkshireDay An angel was visiting an old woman in Yorkshire. Chatting for a while, the woman realised she hadn't made her husband a meal. The angel took some flour, water, eggs and salt, and set about making the first Yorkshire Pudding.
A blessed #Lughnasadh to all 💚 "May the warmth of the sun, nurture you; The cool waters, cleanse you; Nature's bounty, replenish you; The song of the trees, comfort you; The knowledge of the bees, guide you" ~ Druid Blessing by Stephen G. Rae #Lammas #Druidry
A wee trip to "The Book Brewery, Ambleside" this morning with more copies of my "Folklore of the Lake District". Do call into Chris and Emma's bookshop when visiting the Lake District. more: thebookbrewery.co.uk #bookshop #folklore #lakedistrict
Why not treat yourself or a loved one to my new "Folklore of Scotland" Let's go on a magical journey in faerie tales and folk horror, introducing almost 200 characters from Scottish folklore folkloreofscotland.com #folklorethursday #Scotland 📚 available in print and ebook
Cernunnos sleeps The Old God sleeps down in the dark, moist, odorous underfoot, waiting for us to put down our roots. ~ J. M. Reinbold art: Luke Hillestad #wyrdwednesday
The Scottish Wildcat, also know as the Highland Tiger. A Wildcat dwells in The Otherworld, called Little Cat, it guards a vast treasure. For a would-be thief, Little Cat transforms into a flaming arrow, reducing said thief to ashes! 📷 Tony Hamblin #TigerDay
Saddened to hear of the death of Bill Oddie. The Goodies was my favourite sketch comedy show of that generation. So here's a clip from my Goodies inspired short film "Cernunnos, Horned God of Rheged" 🎬 Bardsea-Green Films #comedy #shortfilm #lakedistrict
It's #NorfolkDay : How to have power over men and animals, by King of the Norfolk Poachers: • bury a toad in a black ants nest; • once flesh removed, throw the bones into a stream at midnight St. Mark's Eve; • bones that swim upstream are kept, as they have the power of magic! #folklore #magic
in winter's twilight owls and Buddhas ~ from my "often I stop and look back" book of Zen Haiku poetry bardofcumberland.com/poetry #haiku #bookwormsat art: Ohara Koson
The Grey Lady of Crackenthorpe appears in a horse drawn carriage accompanied by the Helm Wind. Her ghost so troublesome that her body was exhumed from the churchyard to beside the River Eden and a boulder placed on top more: "Folklore of the Lake District" #phantomsfriday #booksky
The August edition of 'Cumbria and Lakeland Walker' is out now. It includes my regular article on Cumbrian folklore. This month it's 'something otherworldly', colourful ghosts #folklore #lakedistrict #cumbria
#SaveTheDate Lakes Deer Fest 2026; Saturday 10th October Delighted to have been asked to share some stories based on my "Folklore of the Lake District" book connectfornature.org.uk #storytelling #deer #lakedistrict
At Castle Rock of Triermain, Gynet the daughter of King Arthur and Faerie Queen Guendolen was sent into an enchanted sleep by Merlin as punishment for her cruelty more in my: 'Folklore of the Lake District' #wyrdwednesday #lakedistrict art: The Sleeping Beauty by John Collier
My friends have a 'smoot' in their wall, built to allow sheep and lambs to pass through. Other names include hogwhol, creeps, cripple, smoose, thawl, lunky. Smoot likely derives from the Old Norse 'smátta' meaning 'narrow lane'. Some are smaller to allow rabbits into a trap. 📍Lake District
#Caturday Púca is a goblin-like being and a bringer of both of good and bad fortune. It is a shapeshifter able to take the form of a goat, hare or cat read more in my: "Boggarts, Brownies, Hobs and their Goblin Kin" bardofcumberland.com/folklore/ #goblins #folklore #booksky
A figure in white haunts the crossroads in the centre of Pitlochry. Locals will advise tourists to avoid this area after dark, as just one touch from this spectre means certain death within a year! #phantomsfriday #Scotland art: Austris Jaudzems
The ghost of a woman devoured by wolves haunts the well of Lady's Dub near the village of Ulpha. Ulpha from Old Norse 'ulfr' - wolf, the 'wolf town'. from my "Folklore of the Lake District" bardofcumberland.com/folklore/ #phantomsfriday #booklovers art: Arthur Rackham
My reading for this weekend arrived today: "Ghosts, Trolls and the Hidden People" by Dagrún Ósk Jónsdóttir.
Tempestarii were weather making witches and/or wizards who possessed the power to raise or prevent storms at will. Anyone reputed as a 'weather maker' was the subject of both respect and fear in rural areas. #wyrdwednesday #weather art: John William Waterhouse
#InternationalRockDay dedicated to geology, minerals and petrology. So here's my: Witch Stone (Hagg Stone, Dobby Stone) with a naturally occurring hole in it, used to ward off evil spirits Merlinite (Shaman's Stone, Magic Bearer) used by the Druid to undertake journeys in The Otherworld
"Who does not understand should either learn, or be silent" #botd 1527, John Dee; occultist, mathematician, astronomer, alchemist art: 'A depiction of John Dee and Edward Kelley invoking a spirit'
In Cumbrian dialects, black-kites is bramble. to mouse in the bramble patch come, "let us dine on autumn fayre" ~ from my: "often I stop and look back" book of Zen Haiku poetry bardofcumberland.com/poetry #bookwormsat #poetrylovers 📷 unknown
