Fearie Flora

Finished my new book Faere Flora at the beginning of the year, it explores the myths and legends surrounding our most common flowers and plants of Britain.

Just toying with the idea of publishing it myself, we found the Ali Baba site and were looking at the section for chinese printers, there are hundreds to choose from so perhaps in the new year that the direction that I will go in...

Devil's Nutting Day

The 14th  of September is Holy Cross or Holy Rood Day and is 

the beginning of the nutting season. 

It is also called Devil's Nutting day. 

The hazel nuts which are collected today have

 magical properties, if you can find a double nut 

this will ward off rheumatism, toothache 

and the  spells of witches.

But do not pick them too early as the hazel is a 

powerful tree, it's wood is used for divining rods 

and to gather its nuts unripe is unlucky or even dangerous.

All the hedgerow trees and bushes are beginning to fruit, 

a heavy crop presages a hard winter.

Many Hawes, many snows.

The rowan is the most powerful of all plants against evil and witchcraft. 

Hang it above your door or plant in the garden. It will protect against the influence of witches  and faeries: while rowan wood used in coffins will prevent the dead from walking.

Rowan tree and red thread

Hold the witches all in dread

The Perpetual Almanack of Folklore

Believe in the Faeries...

Believe in the Faeries

Who makes the dreams come true

Believe in the wonder

The stars and the moon

Believe in the magic

From Faerie above

They dance on the flowers

And sing songs of love

And if you just believe

And always stay true

The Faeries will be there 

To watch over you

Water Nymphs

The rivers of Britain contain many different sorts of wildlife including water nymphs, with the rising waters they have more territory to explore so it is wise to avoid the fast flowing flood waters. The river Frome around Wool in Dorset is known to be the home of water nymphs and although beautiful they are treacherous and very dangerous. The monks of Bindon Abbey which was destroyed by Henry the eighth during the dissolution knew of their existence warned  the locals of their existence. One man had already met one of them while walking by the side of the river and had fallen in love with the beautiful stranger.
He was horrified when the monks told him that it was a nymph and that she had no soul. He was told that she could only survive by sucking the life from her victims. Not wanting to believe the monks he rushed to the river bank to find her. Perhaps the water nymph had sensed that the monks had warned her lover and she was never seen again. Although he walked the banks from Wool bridge to Moreton Ford every day he never saw her again.

As time went on he became more and more heartbroken and eventually threw himself into the water and drowned.

Gwynn-ap- Nudd, The White One, the Faerie King

The entrance to Annwyn faerieland on Glastonbury Tor is guarded by Gwyn- ap -Nudd. His Crystal Realm is the meeting place for the dead and from the Tor he leads the Wild Hunt on Samhain. On stormy nights he is accompanied by the White Hounds of the Otherworld.

Around the 1400's a welsh saint called Collen built himself a hermit hut on the lower slopes of the Tor. He wished to meditate in peace and at that time the Tor was still an island surrounded by marshland so it was an ideal retreat for him or so he thought. He didn't realise that the Tor was already occupied by Gwynn-ap- Nudd and his court.
One day he overheard two locals talking about the Faerie King and was furious that they could still believe in such old superstitions. The two men warned him to be careful of what he said of the Faerie King as his wrath could be terrible.
Collen refused to listen to their warnings and returned to his meditations. The next day a faerie messenger appeared at his hut inviting him to a meeting with Gwynn-ap- Nudd at the top of the Tor. The same messenger returned day after day until Collen finally agreed to meet with Faerie King. But before following the messenger to the top of the Tor he slipped a flask of holy water inside his cloak. As he reached the top the familiar landscape of the Tor disappeared and appearing instead out of the mists were the Faerie halls gleaming with sparkling lights and filled with beautiful music. The Faerie King was seated on a golden throne at the end of a vast hall surrounded by faerie courtiers.
He welcomed the welsh saint warmly offering him a drink from a beautiful golden cup, but Collen knew enough of the faerie ways to refuse the wine. He took the flask of holy water from his cloak and with a sweeping gesture threw the water over the company of faeries.
Gwynn-ap- Nudd, his faerie palace and all his courtiers disappeared leaving Collen alone at the top of the windswept Tor.
But the Faerie King did not disappear forever, he is such a powerful figure that he still remains at the Tor guarding the entrance to Annwyn.

Faerie shoes!!

Look what we found in our house this morning! We must have had faerie visitors during the night, I thought I heard the faint sounds of revelry coming from the garden. These can be found for sale at www.magicmythlegend.co.uk buy them quick before the owners come back for their shoes!

Somerset Levels

We had a lovely visit to Muchelney Abbey last weekend, it's the ruins of a very large Abbey out in the Somerset  levels. Once one of the most wealthy abbeys in the area, due in part to the catching of eels but I am sure there must have been some other reason for their wealth. As  Glastonbury it used to be surrounded by water; an island in the middle of the levels. It must have been an uplifting  sight for the inhabitants of the area, visible for miles. Not much remains now thanks to Henry and the dissolution of the monasteries. I believe Somerset the Lord Protector took a personal interest  in the destruction of Muchelney but he was excecuted for treason shortly after so did not enjoy the results of his labour! On a walk along the river by the Abbey we were surrounded by a flock of swifts swooping and diving around us, it was amazing I haven't seen a swift for years and to be surrounded by so many so breathtaking.

The whole area has a unique feeling to it, and Glastonbury was an important part linking the network of monasteries and abbeys together across the country. It's easy to forget amid the bustle of holidaymakers and gift shops what an important spiritual part of the country this is.
Elizabeth Andrews