Montacute- legends and buried treasure

Our  mini adventure looking for buried treasure at Montacute!

 The National Trust property of Montacute House is easily recognisable, one for being used as the location for many films and of course the inspiration for Tottington Hall in the Wallace and Gromit film Curse of the Were rabbit!

But it's not the Elizabethan house that we have come to explore today. We’re taking one of the great family walks around Montecute.  We head up the narrow road next to the 12th century church of St Catherine's and the entrance of Abbey Farmhouse.

This is not just any farmhouse, this amazing building  was built around the remains of the medieval gateway for Montacute Priory, and was home to the black robed monks of the Benedictine order.

On the other side of the paved yard the footpath continues up the hill 

and into a wooded area and a very steep path, not for the faint hearted! There is an easier path but we are not ones for  doing it the easy way so we continue scaling the steep sides of the hill...the dogs of course, have no problem! And pushing our way through the narrow path past the brambles and nettles until the hill opens up  in front of us.

This little gem is what we came to see...

St Michael’s Hill.... A place of fascinating legends and mysteries.

A location packed with fascinating legends and mysteries.

Just to set the scene...

This isolated knoll commanded a great strategic  position in the area and with amazing views over the Somerset countryside  it is not surprising that a motte and bailey castle was built here by the Normans.

By the 16th century it had fallen into disrepair, the present tower was constructed in the 18th century on the remains of the castle chapel.

It was built as a folly, the Greek inscription above the doorway to the tower describes it as a lookout, and there is a small fireplace and chimney at the top of the 52-step spiral staircase. There are stories that the tower is connected to Montacute House by a 'secret tunnel' but these have never been substantiated. I guess due to health and safety visitors are prevented from scaling the staircase now but if you look through the gate it does appear as though the steps continue on down...

Now to the buried treasure...

Way before the Normans arrived, in 1035 a ghostly  apparition appeared three times to the village Black-smith , This figure commanded him to tell the priest that the villagers should fast, pray, and confess their sins before heading to the top of the hill to unearth a hidden treasure. He ignored the first two visitations , but he received a third visit and this time he was thoroughly rebuked; the divine figure gripped his arm so tightly he left finger-nail marks, proving it was no mere dream. Terrified, the smith ran to the priest, and together they made preparations to climb the hill.

He and the parson accompanied by  some  villagers  began to excavate the area until one man reached a massive stone buried about 60 feet down in the soil. As the spade touched it the stone split apart and revealed a large black stone crucifix .

Buried alongside the crucifix was another smaller cross, a bell, and a Black  book of the 4 Gospels. The locals fearing to touch these holy relicts summoned their lord, Tovi the Proud, standard bearer to King Cnut the Great.

Tovi had the black cross transported to his estate at Waltham in Essex where he built a church to house the miraculous cross. It was here that stories of the cross’ miraculous healings began. Waltham Abbey became a place of pilgrimage as it was said that at certain times the cross would appear to bleed.

Even today Waltham Abbey holds a festival honouring this Holy Cross. 

Unfortunately the holy cross was lost during the reformation.

But where did this miraculous cross come from?

There are claims that St Michael’s hill is the last resting place of Joseph of Aramethea and that the black stone cross covered his tomb which perhaps would explain its miraculous healing powers

The hill is not far from Glastonbury where Joseph stuck his staff into Wearyall hill and it took root, turning into the Glastonbury thorn. He founded Glastonbury Abbey and some reports say that he brought the Holy Grail with him to Britain after the death of Jesus. When he died at the age of 86 the monks fearing that his grave would be desecrated by the Romans hid his body and laid him to rest on the hill.

It has been suggested that Joseph was buried with the holy grail  so is the most holy  christian relic still on St Michael's Hill waiting to be discovered?

But that mystery is for another day, as our final destination is calling...!

Leaving the hill behind we head back down to the village for our last call of the day.. The Montacute Arms.

Hot and hungry, we are in desperate need of sustenance. Great sandwiches and beer!

Coney's Hill-ancient hill fort in Dorset

 After decades of writing about  the folklore of the British Isles and visiting many of the sites I have challenged myself to video as many of our little trips as possible. Most of the videos are quite short but interesting I hope!

A link for my You tube channel if you wish to join me on my adventures!

https://www.youtube.com/@elizabethandrews7523

Our latest adventure was this ancient hill fort in West Dorset. It was built on a ridge line overlooking the Marshwood Vale and is very close to the larger Lamberts Castle which was also an iron age hill fort. This was the site of a fair which continued for several hundred years and the location of a race course.

But back to Coney's Castle...the name coney comes from the old English word meaning rabbit which suggests its use as medieval warren, such as Pilsdon Pen, a nearby hill.

The hill fort has a double enclosure with ramparts and ditches on the eastern, northern and southern sides, the western approach is so steep that these were not so necessary.

Inhabited by the Durotriges tribe whose territory was thought to cover Dorset, Somerset, Wilts and Hampshire. The Dumnonii inhabited land to the west.

The Durotriges hill forts are among the largest in the country and were used as defence positions against the Roman invasion, who had to fight the iron age tribes hill fort by hill fort. They of course eventually succeeded in subduing the tribes.

There is evidence of the conflict, from arrows found inside the enclosures of other hill forts to the collection of round pebbles used as sling shots found by a farmer on Coney's hill.

As well as having their own coinage, they were know for their distinctive black burnished pottery especially the straining bowls, which were widely used by the Roman army and locals. The production of this pottery continued after the Roman conquest which would suggest that the tribes managed to retain to some degree their own Durotigian identity.

Their burial practices were by in-humation, the body usually placed in a crouched position along with a last meal placed in the grave along with grave goods.

These hill forts are fascinating and a great place for a walk with the dogs, and grandchildren.   So like an estate agent you can take a virtual tour of the hill fort by clicking the link!!

https://youtu.be/FeYnuAV6JfU 

I hope you enjoy exploring the hill fort as much as we did! 

 

 

Sequel to The Doll- From The Ashes: Book Five

With the destruction of Margaret, her coven and more importantly, the doll, Queenie was looking forward to a well earned rest but her peace was rudely shattered by a visit from a distraught Paul Goodfellow, the local vicar.

Tamar, her arch enemy, had been the victim of a vicious attack shortly after their visit to her cottage and as a result was now in a coma.

A reluctant visit to her sick bed leads Queenie and Sybil on an urgent quest to find Tamar’s library of ancient occult manuscripts.

They found the answer they were seeking within one of these texts and what the elderly sisters found made Queenie’s blood run cold.

"They stared helplessly at the woman in the bed.

‘Oh no, poor Tamar,’ groaned Queenie and clumsily took her clenched fist. ‘As much as I detested her I wouldn’t have wished her to go like this.’

At the old woman’s touch the cold rigid fingers relaxed beneath Queenie’s wrinkled hand, the stiff digets slowly uncurled one by one revealing in the palm of Tamar’s hand a small twist of paper.

‘What’s that?’ asked Sybil leaning forward.

Queenie glanced from the paper to the sleeping woman’s face then silently flattened out the thick yellowing scrap of paper; it looked like it had been torn from the corner of a page. There were a few symbols and printed words on the paper but this was not what caught Queenie’s eye. It was the sight of her own name scrawled across the corner of the scrap of paper."

Available for pre order now

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CYM8CGHF

Black Cats and Halloween

   It’s nearing that time of year when pumpkins and all things witchy start cropping up, well, saying that Halloween goodies have been available to purchase in the shops for weeks now, jostling on the shelves next to the Christmas decorations!

And of course the image of the Black Cat  will be appearing on decorations for this Halloween time. 

Pet shelters refuse to re-home black cats at this time of year due to the practice of sacrificing the poor pussies, so it is advisable to keep your black cats safe during Halloween celebrations.

 In an effort to dispel these myths and superstitions surrounding the black cat National Black Cat Day is celebrated annually on October 27th.

Of course they are battling hundreds of years of folklore, good and bad concerning these animals. Most of this folklore is so ingrained in humans one has to wonder whether it will ever disappear from our lives.

I found this while researching the subject of cats, not too sure about the validity of it though as it seems so barbaric.

During the 16th century cat burning was part of the entertainment at the Midsummer Fair in Paris. In 1758 the Benedictine Dom Jean Francois wrote an account of the spectacle. A stage was built so that the merry makes could lower a net containing dozens of cats into a bonfire; this became known as The Great Cat Massacre.

Other celebrations took place at the summer solstice where citizens  danced and  jumped over the flames and threw  in objects of magical powers ( see below) to avoid disaster and obtain good fortune for the coming year. A favourite object to throw in were cats, either tied up in bags, suspended from ropes or tied to a stake. During this time Parisiens apparently incinerated cats by the sackful while the ‘cat chasers’ of Saint Chamond would set a cat alight then chase the poor creature through the streets.

Fortunately these practices were abolished in the late 1700’s.

In Ypres, Belgium the residents threw cats from the Cloth Tower until it was outlawed in 1837. Apparently it was to signify the rejection of Paganism and the worship of Frejya.

The custom started again in 1938, luckily toy cats were thrown from the tower not the real thing!

More than 3,500 women and children plus their cats were murdered in the witch hunts of 16th and 17th century Scotland. Many were convicted on flimsy evidence such as owning a black cat, making herbal remedies and possessing a wart...

But you will be pleased to know in 2004 that 81 of them had been pardoned in a special ceremony in Prestonpas; no withes hats or broomsticks allowed at the event though.

Considered lucky and unlucky depending on your point of view and where it is encountered. Walking towards you is considered lucky but if one crosses your path that is extremely unlucky. Some people were so superstitious that they would return home if a black cat crossed their path, especially if they were involved in dangerous occupations.

In Wales however it is a different matter;  black cats are traditionally believed to be good luck especially if one deigns to live in your house. They are also considered to be good weather predictors.

The black cat has often considered to have certain powers, probably why it is always linked with witchcraft. A stray black cat, especially at night, would be avoided as it could be a witch in disguise, or a familiar or even a demon disguised as a cat.

From the early 13th century all black cats were treated with suspicion. Which was rather unfair as there were more black cats than other colour due to the black gene being more dominant in the cats DNA. To make them seem even more spooky they have golden irises due to the high melanin pigment.

During witch trials both in Europe and in the USA the so called witches best friend, or familiar as the witch finders declared, would be burnt alongside the poor unfortunate women.

The idea that the cat had special powers probably originated in Egypt with the Cat Goddess Bastet. Depicted as a woman with a cats head she first appears in the third millennium BC.

In Egypt all black cats are believe to be descendant of Bastet and are thought to possess  supernatural powers. Perhaps because of this  it was considered to have the power to cure ailments.

Many ancient remedies often use body parts of a cat for a cure all; from rubbing a stye with a cats tail, eating a stewed black cat to cure consumption, drinking its blood to bring good health and of course a  burned and ground down cats head to cure eyesight!

Perhaps the above are some examples of folklore we can dispense with!

There are other less painful, for the cat, to treat illnesses. According to some, human illnesses can  be transferred to a cat or dog by placing your finger in the animals ear until your affliction is gone. It supposedly will reappear in the cat.

Another strange superstition which I have never heard of before is that cats cannot be left alone with a corpse. They are excluded from the room where the corpse is laid out to prevent them jumping over or onto the corpse. In some case if this did happen the cat would be killed instantly otherwise it would bring bad luck: the soul of the dead person would be in endangered or the next visitor to view the deceased would be the next to die.

As well as being unwelcome near the deceased they are also unwelcome around babies as it was always thought that cats could suck the breath from a new born.

This superstition is said to have originated with Lilith, the dark goddess of Hebrew mythology, Adam’s hated first wife, who according to Hebrew tales was a vampire.            Her name is usually translated as “night monster.” She took the form of a huge black cat called El-Broosha, and in that form sucked the blood of her favorite prey, the newborn infant.

There was a  cult associated with Lilith which survived up until the late 7th century. The evil she threatened, especially against children and women in childbirth, could be counteracted by the wearing of an amulet bearing the names of certain angels.

 

After much tweeking and proof reading

More Faeries and Folklore of the British Isles

has been published and is now available on Amazon.

First published in 2006 by Arris, Faeries and Folklore of the British Isles became a popular and must have handbook for all lovers of English folk and faerie stories. Meeting with critical acclaim from sources across the country, it was shortlisted by a major broad sheet newspaper as one of it's 'top 10 xmas presents for 2007'.

Following the success of Faerie and Folklore, I published Faerie Flora, a guide to plants and their connection in folklore to the world of faerie.

The popular Psychic Sisters series followed along with a number of illustrated children's stories.

Now for 2023 I have returned to the world of Faeries and Folklore with this new, updated edition. With 192 pages of new content and illustrations 'More Faeries and Folklore is available worldwide through Amazon.

A superbly illustrated introduction to the host of mythical beings who inhabit the British Isles. These wonderful tales of the faerie world have been gathered from all corners of the country, from Ireland, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, to the Scottish hills and down to the tip of Cornwall.

Many of the folk tales can be traced back to Celtic times and have been passed on orally, from old wives tales to the spell binding stories we were told as children.

County by county the book explores the different types of creatures from the faerie world, where they may still be found and their customs and habits.  

There are also wise tips on how to protect against faerie magic.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CCWYFKLP

World of Magic Myth and Legend Zazzle shop

Taa daah!

Pleased to announce my new shop on Zazzle

 The place to shop for all faerie lovers

from t shirts, to phone covers, cushions etc

 

                                        https://www.zazzle.co.uk/store/magicmythlegend

More Faeries and Folklore of the British Isles

In a few weeks time the revised and updated edition of 

More Faeries and Folklore of the British Isles 

will be available from Amazon.

"These wonderful tales of the faeries world have been gathered from all corners of the British Isles- from Ireland, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, to the Scottish hills and then down to the tip of Cornwall. Many of the folk tales can be traced back to Celtic times and have been passed on orally, from old wives tales to the spell binding stories we were told as children.

County by county Elizabeth Andrews explores the different types of creatures from the faerie world, where they may still be found and their customs and habits.

There are also wise tips on how to protect yourself against faerie magic."

Since the publication of the first edition I have heard many times why did you forget this county and that faerie? So I decided that I had better go on another faerie hunt!

This edition has many more pages, information and illustrations in a larger format.

I hope this edition will be as popular as the original.

I will announce the publication date when the final draft has been finalised.