Stephen G. Rae
@stephengrae
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.
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
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
#NationalKittenDay in Cumbrian dialects, 'chitty' is cat and 'kittlin' is kitten. In superstition, a stray kitten coming into your house is good luck more in my "Folklore of the Lake District" bardofcumberland.com/folklore/ #caturday #folklore #lakedistrict 📷 Philippe Hugonnard
In both my native Scots and adopted Cumbrian dialects, 'con' is squirrel (red) Frequently seen as a trickster, having reds living near your home protects against malevolent beings more in my book "Folklore of the Lake District" #nature #folklore #lakedistrict art: Jean-Baptiste Monge
Dandelion, in my native Scots is 'wild william' or 'witch-gowan'. In Cumbrian dialects, it's 'dog-posy' and 'pissibed'. The floating seeds are called 'fairies' and it's lucky to catch one. #wildflowers #folklorethursday art: Hannah Charig
In 1910, the Captain of HMS Caesar sailing between the Cumbrian coast and Isle of Man reported seeing a repilitian creature with a dog's head leaping out the water. Perhaps a dobhar-chú or 'water dog' from lore more in my "Folklore of the Lake District" #wyrdwednesday #booksky
A 'tail' of two slow worms. Also called deaf-adder or blindworm. Regionally, long-cripple, steelworm or hazelworm. To escape predators, they detach their tail and it thrashes about for several minutes. I'd inadvertently disturbed a nest of 8+ slow worms. 🎬 this morning's drama 📍#lakedistrict
In Cumbrian dialects, 'sleaaworm' is slow worm. This legless lizard has the ability to shed its tail, and blink (something snakes can't) "If I could see, as well as thee, man nor beast, should ne’er pass me" ~ blind worm's address to the adder 🎬 today's gardening companion 📍 #lakedistrict
Traditional children's skipping rhyme: "the stars are shining, the moon's so bright; the boggart can't come out tonight" more: "Folklore of the Lake District" bardofcumberland.com/folklore/ #bookwormsat art by me
A morning bookshop trip over to Sedburgh, the Book Town, to @westwoodbooks.bsky.social Both author and customer, picking up some book treasures for my latest project, and my own three folklore titles are now in stock #books #folklore #bookshop
A 'swrath' is an undead being from Cumbrian lore, the embodiment of a soul on the verge of death. Also a 'waff' in Northumberland, and 'wraith' in Scottish dialects. #phantomsfriday art: Vera Violetta
It's #WorldUFODay 🛸 In 1954 a UFO crashed near Caldbeck. That same year, 13 year-old Stephen Darbishire allegedly took this photograph of a UFO near Coniston more in my "Folklore of the Lake District" folklorepress.co.uk #UFODay #folklore #lakedistrict
A wee bookshop trip in the Lake District this morning. Handing-in books to The Book Brewery, Ambleside; and signing books at @samreadbookseller.bsky.social Grasmere, where they are flying of the shelf 😊 Lovely to see @witchmountain.bsky.social at Grasmere. #bookshops #folklore #lakedistrict
Stonehenge illuminated by lightening, by my good friend Geoff Beattie In mythology, Merlin used magic to bring stone across the sea from Ireland to create Stonehenge. It was built by local giants and thereafter called "The Giants' Dance" #wyrdwednesday #stonehenge
"We don't set out to deliberately scare with our creatures, we try to make them as awe-inspiring as possible." ~ Ray Harryhausen #botd 1920
The #StrawberryMoon occurs this evening, 29th June. It was named by the indigenous peoples of the Americas after the ripening of June bearing strawberries; alternative names include, the Honey Moon and the Mead Moon. #fullmoon art: Janie Olsen
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. ~ Stephen G. Rae #bookwormsat #druidry
A squire's daughter would meet her lover at Furness Abbey. One day he journeyed to sea and never returned. The girl returned every day until her death and her ghost the White Lady, still walks more: 'Folklore of the Lake District' bardofcumberland.com #phantomsfriday #booksky art: Arthur Rackham
A 'Hedge Druid' means someone who "rides the Hedge", who travels between this world and The Otherworld. At certain times of the year, the veil between these worlds is at its thinnest and the Druid can cross over. 📍Birkrigg Common, Ulverston
It's #NationalWritingDay so let me introduce you to my: 📚 Folklore of the Lake District 📚 Boggarts, Brownies, Hobs and their Goblin Kin 📚 Folklore of Scotland plus monthly articles in Cumbria and Lakeland Walker magazine more: bardofcumberland.com #booksky #folklore #writers
It's #InternationalFairyDay Scots folklorist, F. Marion McNeill wrote that Fairies were a folk memory from our Neolithic ancestors: they had a malevolent nature and stole babies to rear as their own more in my new "Folklore of Scotland" folkloreofscotland.com art: Yuliya Litvinova