Courses by Simon Young
In this nine-lesson course, I look at the history of British and Irish fairy beliefs from the anc... more In this nine-lesson course, I look at the history of British and Irish fairy beliefs from the ancient world to the present. Case studies include: the elf dancers of Cae Caled; Walter Evans-Wentz's fairy adventures in Ireland; the Cornish fairy witch Ann Jefferies; and the Cottingley fairy hoax. Fairies are revealed as the social supernatural: a mirror that humans hold up to themselves. Fairies also prove a useful way to measure our changing relationship with the landscape and with each other. 9 video lessons274 views
Boggarts by Simon Young
"As SIMON YOUNG gets ready to hang up his hunting gear, he shares the fruits of his research into... more "As SIMON YOUNG gets ready to hang up his hunting gear, he shares the fruits of his research into a once commonplace but now largely vanished fortean inhabitant of northern England-the surreal, scary, shapeshifting supernatural being known as the boggart."
The Boggart was a supernatural bogey from the north-west of England (Cheshire, Lancashire, Yorksh... more The Boggart was a supernatural bogey from the north-west of England (Cheshire, Lancashire, Yorkshire). There are almost a hundred boggart placenames, one of the most common of which is the Boggart Hole (e.g. Blackley in Lancashire). What, though, is a Boggart Hole and in what kind of landscapes do they occur? What can placenames tell us about boggart folklore?
A Victorian and Edwardian tradition of boggart plays in 'Greater Lancashire' traced back to folkl... more A Victorian and Edwardian tradition of boggart plays in 'Greater Lancashire' traced back to folklore, dialect and theatrical origins.
An examination of the early sources (mainly 19C) for the Boggart Hole Clough legend, an area of E... more An examination of the early sources (mainly 19C) for the Boggart Hole Clough legend, an area of English countryside in the Manchester conurbation.
A discussion of boggarts in dialect literature, particularly 19C Lancashire dialect. There is als... more A discussion of boggarts in dialect literature, particularly 19C Lancashire dialect. There is also a list of boggart works.
There follows a taster for Higson, South Manchester Supernatural (978-1-8380969-0-8)
This is sout... more There follows a taster for Higson, South Manchester Supernatural (978-1-8380969-0-8)
This is southern Manchester as you have never seen it before. We have: shape-changing ghosts; cow-levitating Boggarts; child-murdering Jenny Greenteeth; the tree-haunting Nut Nan; Dicky, a railway-destroying skull; din-making Clap Cans; border-guarding Pad Feet; and, beware, above all, Raura Peena the last fairy of Saddleworth. All this in a hundred-and-three pages, in the Pwca Ghost, Witch and Fairy Pamphlet series.
The author, John Higson (1825-1871) wrote, from the 1850s, a series of supernatural sketches of Gorton (where he was born and grew up), Droylsden (where he lived), Lees (where he died), Saddleworth (where he walked) and other areas he visited, including Preston and Derbyshire. Born to a poor family, raised without an education, Higson became, through hard-work and talent one of the most exciting Lancashire folklore writers of his generation, and got to be friends with some of the most influential county authors of his day.
However, because Higson never brought his folklore work together in a single volume his supernatural prose (and two songs) have been lost in obscure and, in some cases, forgotten publications. For the first time now his folklore compositions, from fifteen different articles and books, are gathered together in the hope of giving Higson (and the supernatural world he inhabited) the attention they so richly deserve. Also included: a short biography and William E. A. Axon’s ‘Hartshead Boggart’ (a tribute to Higson from a friend).
This talk was given 27 Nov 1888 at Burnley for the Burnley Literary and Scientific Club. It was, ... more This talk was given 27 Nov 1888 at Burnley for the Burnley Literary and Scientific Club. It was, then, published in the Club’s Transactions: the bibliographical reference is – James McKay, ‘The Evolution of East Lancashire Boggarts’, Transactions of the Burnley Literary & Scientific Club 6 (1888), 113-127.
There are three good reasons for reprinting it here.
First, though there are lots of scattered references to boggarts from nineteenth-century Lancashire this is the single longest sustained piece of writing on the subject.
Second, McKay’s essay is not easy to get hold of. The pdf of the Transactions is floating around online, but for 95% of the population, perhaps 99% of these who would be interested, it will prove difficult to find.
Third, the publishers of the Transactions cut McKay’s talk towards the end. However, at three points contemporary newspapers were more generous in reporting McKay’s words. It has been possible, then, in the footnotes, to restore some of the original text or at least the original content.
Welcome, then, to ‘The Evolution of East Lancashire Boggarts’ a century and a quarter after it was first given.
This is a classic boggart tale in Lancashire dialect published in 1882 and with an unusual transv... more This is a classic boggart tale in Lancashire dialect published in 1882 and with an unusual transvestite theme. It is (to the best of my knowledge) available nowhere on line. Note that the British Library scans immediately follow on so readers can check any dubious copies.
I am gathering information from those born 1920-1970 on boggart beliefs. Please circulate!
A chapter from: Hopkins, R. Thurston Ghosts Over England (London: Meridian, 1953)
There are bo... more A chapter from: Hopkins, R. Thurston Ghosts Over England (London: Meridian, 1953)
There are boggarts...
Hardwick, Charles ‘The north of England domestic or ‘flitting’ boggart: its Scandinavian origins’... more Hardwick, Charles ‘The north of England domestic or ‘flitting’ boggart: its Scandinavian origins’, Manchester Literary Club Papers 6 (1880), 278-283
This was Hardwick's second go at Roby's travesty of a boggart story (plagiarised by Croker). The first time he had been slavish in his praise...
Fairy Census by Simon Young
An article written for Fortean Times (Jan 2024) to introduce Fairy Census 2. These were proofs an... more An article written for Fortean Times (Jan 2024) to introduce Fairy Census 2. These were proofs and there may be a couple of typos.
Five hundred fairy encounters from around the world (§§501-1000). Fairy Census 3 is now collectin... more Five hundred fairy encounters from around the world (§§501-1000). Fairy Census 3 is now collecting... 2nd edition 12 Dec 2023: some minor typos fixed.
This is a collection of 500 contemporary fairy experiences: most from the English-speaking world.... more This is a collection of 500 contemporary fairy experiences: most from the English-speaking world. The pdf is 400 pages long: about 160,000 words. The experiences date from the 1920s to the 2010s and respondents were aged from three-years old to ninety when they believe that they encountered fairies. It is hoped that the collection will allow for further studies of the supernatural and of supernatural experiences both by the editor and others. A second phase of collection is now underway.
Here are some charts giving the basic results for c. 850 results from Fairy Census I and Fairy Ce... more Here are some charts giving the basic results for c. 850 results from Fairy Census I and Fairy Census II. About 150 contributions, for one reason and another, though in the census did not qualify. See further the introduction to either Fairy Census. Note Fairy Census 2 is now ready and will be released by the end of November 2023.
This was a reflection on the publication of the Fairy Census . FT 362.
Link: http://rerc-journal.tsd.ac.uk/index.php/religiousexp/article/view/50/69
By taking eighty... more Link: http://rerc-journal.tsd.ac.uk/index.php/religiousexp/article/view/50/69
By taking eighty-eight fairy experiences of English-speaking children aged from about three to ten, from the last eighty years, we look at the characteristics of fairy sightings among the very young. Children have more sleep-related fairy experiences than adults. In natural settings children focus their experiences on trees: there is little interest in the flowers so common in contemporary adult fairy experiences. In some cases, meanwhile, fairies become a fixture in the life of a child, and here parallels with the psychological literature on ‘invisible friends’ are intriguing. We also look at the role of memory in the encounter as the child integrates and elaborates the experience; and the consequences for the grown child’s spiritual development.
A sample from the book. 'Discover a world beyond our own in The Fairy Census I (2014-2017), a col... more A sample from the book. 'Discover a world beyond our own in The Fairy Census I (2014-2017), a collection of five hundred extraordinary fairy encounters from all corners of the globe. From brief four-word accounts to multi-page memories, this book is the first of three published volumes for the Fairy Census I and relates to British and Irish run-ins with the fay (§§1-191). Marvel at earthlights, stumps that transform into elves, multicoloured magical ponies and many, many fairy bumps in the night. Each encounter is richly detailed, with data on the location, time of day, the psychological factors surrounding the experience and a number of other points to give depth and context to these impossible happenings. Whether you’re a believer, a Fortean or a sceptic, the Fairy Census will make for entrancing reading.'
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Courses by Simon Young
Boggarts by Simon Young
This is southern Manchester as you have never seen it before. We have: shape-changing ghosts; cow-levitating Boggarts; child-murdering Jenny Greenteeth; the tree-haunting Nut Nan; Dicky, a railway-destroying skull; din-making Clap Cans; border-guarding Pad Feet; and, beware, above all, Raura Peena the last fairy of Saddleworth. All this in a hundred-and-three pages, in the Pwca Ghost, Witch and Fairy Pamphlet series.
The author, John Higson (1825-1871) wrote, from the 1850s, a series of supernatural sketches of Gorton (where he was born and grew up), Droylsden (where he lived), Lees (where he died), Saddleworth (where he walked) and other areas he visited, including Preston and Derbyshire. Born to a poor family, raised without an education, Higson became, through hard-work and talent one of the most exciting Lancashire folklore writers of his generation, and got to be friends with some of the most influential county authors of his day.
However, because Higson never brought his folklore work together in a single volume his supernatural prose (and two songs) have been lost in obscure and, in some cases, forgotten publications. For the first time now his folklore compositions, from fifteen different articles and books, are gathered together in the hope of giving Higson (and the supernatural world he inhabited) the attention they so richly deserve. Also included: a short biography and William E. A. Axon’s ‘Hartshead Boggart’ (a tribute to Higson from a friend).
There are three good reasons for reprinting it here.
First, though there are lots of scattered references to boggarts from nineteenth-century Lancashire this is the single longest sustained piece of writing on the subject.
Second, McKay’s essay is not easy to get hold of. The pdf of the Transactions is floating around online, but for 95% of the population, perhaps 99% of these who would be interested, it will prove difficult to find.
Third, the publishers of the Transactions cut McKay’s talk towards the end. However, at three points contemporary newspapers were more generous in reporting McKay’s words. It has been possible, then, in the footnotes, to restore some of the original text or at least the original content.
Welcome, then, to ‘The Evolution of East Lancashire Boggarts’ a century and a quarter after it was first given.
There are boggarts...
This was Hardwick's second go at Roby's travesty of a boggart story (plagiarised by Croker). The first time he had been slavish in his praise...
Fairy Census by Simon Young
By taking eighty-eight fairy experiences of English-speaking children aged from about three to ten, from the last eighty years, we look at the characteristics of fairy sightings among the very young. Children have more sleep-related fairy experiences than adults. In natural settings children focus their experiences on trees: there is little interest in the flowers so common in contemporary adult fairy experiences. In some cases, meanwhile, fairies become a fixture in the life of a child, and here parallels with the psychological literature on ‘invisible friends’ are intriguing. We also look at the role of memory in the encounter as the child integrates and elaborates the experience; and the consequences for the grown child’s spiritual development.
This is southern Manchester as you have never seen it before. We have: shape-changing ghosts; cow-levitating Boggarts; child-murdering Jenny Greenteeth; the tree-haunting Nut Nan; Dicky, a railway-destroying skull; din-making Clap Cans; border-guarding Pad Feet; and, beware, above all, Raura Peena the last fairy of Saddleworth. All this in a hundred-and-three pages, in the Pwca Ghost, Witch and Fairy Pamphlet series.
The author, John Higson (1825-1871) wrote, from the 1850s, a series of supernatural sketches of Gorton (where he was born and grew up), Droylsden (where he lived), Lees (where he died), Saddleworth (where he walked) and other areas he visited, including Preston and Derbyshire. Born to a poor family, raised without an education, Higson became, through hard-work and talent one of the most exciting Lancashire folklore writers of his generation, and got to be friends with some of the most influential county authors of his day.
However, because Higson never brought his folklore work together in a single volume his supernatural prose (and two songs) have been lost in obscure and, in some cases, forgotten publications. For the first time now his folklore compositions, from fifteen different articles and books, are gathered together in the hope of giving Higson (and the supernatural world he inhabited) the attention they so richly deserve. Also included: a short biography and William E. A. Axon’s ‘Hartshead Boggart’ (a tribute to Higson from a friend).
There are three good reasons for reprinting it here.
First, though there are lots of scattered references to boggarts from nineteenth-century Lancashire this is the single longest sustained piece of writing on the subject.
Second, McKay’s essay is not easy to get hold of. The pdf of the Transactions is floating around online, but for 95% of the population, perhaps 99% of these who would be interested, it will prove difficult to find.
Third, the publishers of the Transactions cut McKay’s talk towards the end. However, at three points contemporary newspapers were more generous in reporting McKay’s words. It has been possible, then, in the footnotes, to restore some of the original text or at least the original content.
Welcome, then, to ‘The Evolution of East Lancashire Boggarts’ a century and a quarter after it was first given.
There are boggarts...
This was Hardwick's second go at Roby's travesty of a boggart story (plagiarised by Croker). The first time he had been slavish in his praise...
By taking eighty-eight fairy experiences of English-speaking children aged from about three to ten, from the last eighty years, we look at the characteristics of fairy sightings among the very young. Children have more sleep-related fairy experiences than adults. In natural settings children focus their experiences on trees: there is little interest in the flowers so common in contemporary adult fairy experiences. In some cases, meanwhile, fairies become a fixture in the life of a child, and here parallels with the psychological literature on ‘invisible friends’ are intriguing. We also look at the role of memory in the encounter as the child integrates and elaborates the experience; and the consequences for the grown child’s spiritual development.
https://independent.academia.edu/SimonYoung43/Fairy-Census
The Fairy Census 1 has been downloaded over 15,000 times across two different portals. The British and Irish encounters have been published as a paperback, and the American and rest of the world encounters will soon follow.
I’ve been gathering, for the last years, new accounts for the Fairy Census 2 and will soon bring out the results, again as a free online pdf. If you’ve had, or think you might have had, a fairy experience, I invite you to participate in the survey here:
https://www.fairyist.com/survey/
Your help in circulating this appeal would be greatly appreciated too.
I can accommodate accounts in most European languages, as long as you can follow the English prompts! Rest assured, I am committed to maintaining the anonymity of all participants. No names or specific geographical details will be published.
I have a particular interest in childhood encounters (and adults remembering those encounters). But any type of experience from anywhere in the world is welcome for inclusion in the new collection.
If you wish to contact me directly, I can be reached at simonyoungfl AT gmail DOT com (Simon Young). I look forward to hearing your extraordinary stories!
Our only coherent article on horse spirits as of 2023
eleven nineteenth-century, north-western communities:
Bradford (WY), Burnley (La), Delph-Dobcross (WY),
Droylsden (La), Gorton (La), Greenfield (WY), Hawkshead
(La), Lees (La), Moston (La), Natland (We) and Worsthorne
(La). Here locals feared boggarts, dobbies, fairies and phantom
dogs and ‘public bogies’ (celebrated local spirits) were
often associated with specific points in the landscape. These
bogies, in fact, typically appeared radially around towns and
villages, on human or natural boundaries and they, generally,
were to be found on the edge of but not within urban
centres. The almost total absence of public bogies from
urban centres in the case studies is surprising and runs
against the grain of contemporary scholarship. Does this
represent a problem with the data, or a previously underappreciated
aspect of the supernatural in the north-west and
perhaps in Britain more generally? Time and Mind 13 (2020), 399-424
‘The Fairy Placenames of Cumbria’, Tradition Today 8 (2019), 41-51
this is a rare pamphlet important for Cornish folklore, for Cornish history and for Ann Jefferies and her fairies.
It is presently retailing for about 200 dollars. Hope that this will give more people access. It was tricky to scan without destroying my copy... I've tried an OCR.
Long live the memory of the brilliant Barbara Spooner! Someone should do a book with the best essays, including this pamphlet
Ballantyne, Archibald 'The West-Country Pixies', Argosy 64 (1897), 410-422
This was Jenner's second go at pixies after his contribution to the Evans Wentz volume. If anyone could get me a better copy I'd put that up in its place: my way of saying sorry for the poor copying.
An examination of some alleged Victorian fairy tattoos.
‘The Mysterious Rolling Wool Bogey’, Gramarye 8 (2015), 9-17
'Elsie, Frances and the Beck: The Artist, the Mystic and the Cottingley Fairies', The Cottingley Fairy Photographs: New Approaches to Fairies, Fakes and Folklore (Pwca 2024), 50-74
'Fairy Mythology of Ireland', Dublin University Magazine 63, 1864, 640-658
Grinsell, Folklore of Prehistoric Sites in Britain (London: David & Charles, 1976)
Smith, Charles C., 'Fairies at Ilkley Wells', Folk-Lore Record 1 (1878), 229-231
Simon Young, 'The Superstitious Wedding Planner in Georgian and Victorian Britain: Book Folklore versus Lived Folklore', Tradition Today 12 (2024), 31-53
This article traces the evolution of the "brownie," a supernatural household helper (HHH) deeply embedded in Scottish Lowland folklore, and its cultural diffusion and transformation across regions and time periods. Initially described as a solitary spirit aiding households with tasks, the brownie’s origins, etymology, and key characteristics are analyzed through early literary sources and geographical data. The study examines how the brownie’s identity shifted under the influence of Lowland Scots culture, literary standardization, and broader folklore assimilation, extending into Gaelic-speaking areas, the Northern Isles, and England. By the 19th century, the brownie had undergone significant cultural reinterpretation, culminating in its mainstream adaptation in children's literature and the Girl Guide movement. The article highlights the "observer effect" in folklore studies, demonstrating how the standardization of terminology by national writers not only records but reshapes folklore beliefs, ultimately transforming the brownie from a rustic household spirit into a widely recognized symbol of fairy-like benevolence.
Black, F. Geo. ‘Scottish Charms and Amulets’, Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland 27 (1893), 433-526
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1859647/10360286-the-wesley-poltergeist
C. 1798 and then again in 1809 a mermaid was seen at Reay on the very northern coast of Scotland. These two mermaid sightings were both described in letters in 1809 and afterwards the letters were, without the authors’ permission, printed in an Oxfordshire newspaper. The story created a national sensation in late August 1809 and the Reay
mermaids became perhaps the most famous mer-folk to emerge from 19th Century Britain. In this article, I look at how the Reay mermaids were treated by the press and how the case can help us to exploit other mermaid encounters in 19th Century newspapers.
The document begins with an introduction explaining the nature of these stories and the author's process of collecting them. It then presents a chronological series of anecdotes from various sources, including newspapers, books, and personal accounts. These stories often involve people mistaking ink for medicinal liquids, holy water, or personal care products, resulting in humorous or alarming situations when the mistake is discovered.
The compilation includes several appendices exploring related themes, such as the "Holy Water Joke," "Thieves Drink Ink," and "The Blotting Paper Joke."
Grinsell, Leslie V. Folklore of Prehistoric Sites in Britain (London: David & Charles, 1976)
The Wollaton Gnomes was a classic anomalous encounter. 23 September 1979, a half dozen primary school children went for an evening walk in Wollaton Park in Nottingham. A number of these children then saw thirty small cars each with a gnome driver and passenger. The encounter lasted, according to the children, about fifteen minutes, as the gnome cars chased them around the park. It is a fascinating incident not least because it is so well documented. We have an interview transcript of the children recorded less than 48 hours after the sighting (and two pictures drawn by the children); newspaper reports with interviews with parents, teachers and children; extra fairy and gnome sightings in the area; and an investigation by Fairy Investigation Society stalwart Marjorie Johnson. All of these are brought together in the present volume. There are also ten essays by fairyists, folklorists and Forteans: Frank Earp, ‘The Wollaton Gnomes: A Different Kind of ‘Fairy Tale’’; Dan Green, ‘A Visit to Wollaton Park’; Mave Marian, ‘Dowsing at Wollaton Park’; Kate Ray, ‘The Wollaton Gnomes: More Questions than Answers’; John Kruse, ‘‘Planes, trains and automobiles’: fairies and transport’; Jo Hickey-Hall, ‘Wollaton and the Great Windsor Park Encounters’; Neil Rushton, ‘Faeries, Children and Altered States of Consciousness’; Dr. Jack Hunter, ‘Gardens and Gnomes: Statues, Extraordinary Experiences and Subtle Ecologies’; Loes Modderman, ‘Gnomes: A View from the Netherlands’; and Simon Young, ‘Enid, Noddy and Big Ears at Wollaton’.
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1859647/9982788-the-wollaton-gnomes-a-nottingham-fairy-mystery
The Hampshire Independent began its ‘Local Notes and Queries’ 20 February 1886. The column lasted almost a decade winding down in the second half of 1895: the BNA is missing for 1896 so we cannot be certain when exactly the column finished. The early columns depended on a great deal of editorial intervention. There was also a certain amount of natural history (late or early swallows etc etc), and natural history content grew with the years. Some highlights were published in The Hampshire Antiquary and Naturalist 1-2 (1891-1892): this publication combined extracts from the column with ‘reports of meetings of the Hampshire Field Club’. Both volumes are included here.
***
As of the spring of 2023 I’ve become interested in the Notes and Queries phenomenon in Victorian and Edwardian Britain. This was the system popularised by the journal of that name, where readers wrote in with observations, questions and answers about matters of shared interest. The format spread to newspapers (‘Local Notes and Queries), county journals (‘Gloucestershire Notes and Queries’) and specialist publications (e.g. Notes and Queries relating to Biblical studies or Shakespeare). At its best N&Q was a kind of glorified notice board or as Patrick Leary had it ‘a Victorian virtual community’.
I’m particularly interested in ‘local notes and queries’ in newspapers and county magazines and periodicals because I’m fascinated by British folklore collection and local N&Q often prioritised folklore (or tried to). I have a list of about eighty of these local N&Q. Each one is an ecosystem with its own rules. If anyone is researching this area I would very much like to communicate: though if this is after 2026, say, it is possible my interests will have moved on!
To go through these local N&Q systematically I’ve searched out the various numbers and spliced them together in single pdfs. I took out all surplus material (blank pages, adverts etc). I also OCR-ed the periodicals with Abby.
Purists, note, will not approve at some of my choices, for instance cutting adverts. But, then, purists will know how to find the originals! Enjoy!
I’m sharing these on academia because though available online (in most cases…) there are many different issues with using and finding them: particularly for those who are not at ease navigating Archive, Google Books etc. Volumes are mislabelled, incomplete, poorly scanned etc etc I tried to put together the best version of the relevant periodical. If you can do better then please get in touch and I’ll update them.
Simon Young
belief systems and the communities that sustain them. Global in scope, the series will encompass milieus ranging from ancient to contemporary times and encourage empirically-grounded, source-rich studies.
The editors favour the broad multidisciplinary approach which has
characterised the study of folklore and the supernatural, and that has brought together insights from historians, folklorists, anthropologists, and many other branches of the humanities and social sciences.
We invite proposals from scholars at all career stages, including proposals for multi-author works. Volumes might cover topics as widely spaced thematically, temporally and geographically as: imaginary parasites in antiquity; medieval shamanism; early modern water spirits in the Pacific; ghost-lore in nineteenth-century American newspapers; and COVID urban legends from around the globe. In short, we seek the best folklore writing in the world today.
To discuss your book proposal, please contact Anna Henderson at
a.henderson@exeterpress.co.uk or one or both of the series editors:
Simon Young, University of Virginia (CET, Siena) at simonryoung@cantab.net Davide Ermacora, University of Turin at davide.ermacora@unito.it
4 March 2022