The Last New England Vampire

In the late 18th and early 19th centuries there was a widespread belief in vampires throughout New England. The vampiric condition became associated with the deadly Tuberculosis, a disease misunderstood at the time and therefore the cause of much superstition.

It was believed to cause nightly visitations from previously deceased victims, as well as bringing general sickness and multiple deaths to the family. As a result, there are various accounts of families having their deceased disinterred for the purpose of removing their hearts and bringing to an end their reign of terror, and the most famous of these cases is that of Mercy Brown.

There had been numerous deaths as a result of TB within the Brown family. Mercy’s mother and sister had died within a few years of one another, then, in 1892, Mercy herself succumbed to the illness.

Mercy’s brother Edwin was also ill and, in accordance with the aforementioned folklore, Mercy’s father was persuaded to exhume the bodies of his dead relatives in an attempt to cure his son. The mother and sister’s body were found to have undergone significant decomposition, however, Mercy’s body remained relatively unchanged*: a clear sign that she was undead and the agent of Edwin’s condition. 

As a result, her heart was removed, burnt, mixed with water and fed to Edwin. He died two months later.

* A cold New England winter likely caused this.

[Sources: Image | Mercy Brown Vampire Incident | Vampire]

Bridget Cleary, Fairy Changeling

Bridget Cleary was an Irish woman who, in 1895, was killed by her husband who believed she was a fairy changeling. In folklore a changeling is a fairy which is switched with a human infant. In many cases a changeling seemed like the only rational explanation for the unknown diseases etc., which might afflict a child.

Although her age, for she was 26 at the time, perhaps makes Bridget’s case unique, it was with such illness that her troubles began. She lay in bed with a fever for over a week, going undiagnosed by her physician and believed sufficiently ill enough to have a priest administer the last rites, before her husband and father declared her to be a changeling. In a curious ritual, aimed at expelling the fairy from her body, they doused her in urine and sat her before the fireplace.

A few days later she went missing. Her husband reiterated his belief that she had been taken by fairies, however, Bridget’s burnt remains were soon found nearby in a shallow grave. Evidence suggested that, as the Cleary family gathered at Bridget’s sick bed, an argument, tinged with fairy mythology, had erupted, and Bridget had offended her husband by telling him the only person who had gone off with the fairies had been his mother. This escalated into him menacing his wife with a flaming stick, which ignited her chemise. He then threw an oil lamp on her, all the while claiming that she was a changeling and that he would, by these means, get his wife back.

He was convicted of manslaughter, though some believe he concocted a ‘fairy defence’ after Bridget’s murder so he might get a lesser sentence. Nine other people were also charged for their involvement in the murder, demonstrating how widely believed fairy folklore was amongst these rural Irish communities at the time.

[Sources: Changeling | Bridget Cleary | Galway Advertiser | See Also]

Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable

One year after graduating and moving back home to my parents’ house I have finally unpacked all my belongings, and in doing so I have uncovered this forgotten gem of a book, which I think is a little oddment in itself and I’d recommend to anyone with an interest in literature, history, mythology, folklore or anything of that sort!

It was first published in the late 19th century, aimed at people without a university education who wanted to understand literary allusions and the origins of phrases, however, it also included an array of other more curious features that have been amended and added to over the past century.

There’s a whole section dedicated to the first lines in classical literature, for example, as well as explanations about all manner of fictional characters, historical figures and events; pages dedicated Zodiac signs and how to read palms, as well as an extensive list of the ‘Cries of Animals’. If you want to know the name of ‘Achilles’ wife,’ there’s an entry for that! Need a list of historical witches or court jesters? There are entries for those! Curious about ‘The Fat Boy of Peckham’? Fear not, there’s an entry for that too!  Anyway, any dictionary that includes definitions of ‘Acid Bath Murders,’ ‘Quidditch,’ and ‘A Tub of Naked Children’ is doing it right as far as I’m concerned! 

Concerning the first edition of the book, it has been said that “Some entries seem so trivial as to be hardly worth including”, and I think that’s still true of the later edition I have, but that’s exactly what makes it marvelous! 

Death Crowns

In Appalachian folklore Death Crowns are curious discs of interwoven feathers that were found in the pillows of the dying or deceased, that is, in times when feather pillows were more abundant. If discovered in the former, they were seen as a sign that the person would surely die, whilst if found in the latter, they were seen as a sign that the person had gone to Heaven.

Measuring on average two inches wide and one inch thick, scientific explanation suggests that the feathers would become inadvertently matted by the bed bound person’s head, however, those who go in for the legend still believe it is a sign from angels that their loved one is with God.

[Sources: Image | Death Crowns]

Sandman

The Sandman is a mythical character in Northern European folklore who brings good dreams by sprinkling magical sand onto the eyes of children while they sleep at night. He is said to sprinkle sand or dust on or into the eyes of the child at night to bring on dreams and sleep. The grit or “sleep” in one’s eyes upon waking is supposed to be the result of the Sandman’s work the previous evening.

Hans Christian Andersen’s 1841 folk tale Ole Lukøje recorded the Sandman, named Ole Lukøje, by relating dreams he gave to a young boy in a week through his magical technique of sprinkling dust in the eyes of the children. Andersen wrote:

There is nobody in the world who knows so many stories as Ole-Luk-Oie, or who can relate them so nicely. In the evening, while the children are seated at the table or in their little chairs, he comes up the stairs very softly, for he walks in his socks, then he opens the doors without the slightest noise, and throws a small quantity of very fine dust in their eyes, just enough to prevent them from keeping them open, and so they do not see him. Then he creeps behind them, and blows softly upon their necks, till their heads begin to droop. But Ole-Luk-Oie does not wish to hurt them, for he is very fond of children, and only wants them to be quiet that he may relate to them pretty stories, and they never are quiet until they are in bed and asleep. As soon as they are asleep, Ole-Luk-Oie seats himself upon the bed. He is nicely dressed; his coat is made of silken fabric; it is impossible to say of what color, for it changes from green to red, and from red to blue as he turns from side to side. Under each arm he carries an umbrella; one of them, with pictures on the inside, he spreads over the good children, and then they dream the most beautiful stories the whole night. But the other umbrella has no pictures, and this he holds over the naughty children so that they sleep heavily, and wake in the morning without having dreams at all.

(Source: Wikipedia)

Corpse Road

In medieval Britain, corpse roads provided a practical means for transporting corpses from remote communities to cemeteries in larger towns, that had burial rights. Concomitant expansion of church building throughout the UK during the late medieval period inevitably encroached on the territories of existing mother churches or minsters. Demands for autonomy from outlying settlements made minster officials feel that their authority was waning, as were their revenues, so they instituted corpse roads connecting outlying locations and their mother churches that alone held burial rights.

For some parishioners, this decision meant that corpses had to be transported long distances, sometimes through difficult terrain: usually a corpse had to be carried unless the departed was a wealthy individual. Many of the corpse roads have long disappeared, while the original purposes of those that still survive as footpaths have been largely forgotten, especially if features such as coffin stones, on which the coffin was placed while the parishioners rested, or crosses no longer exist.

Such corpse roads have developed a great deal of associated folklore. The essence of spirit lore is that spirits, that is, spirits of the dead, phantasms of the living, wraiths, or fairies move through the physical landscape along special routes. Such routes are conceived of as being straight and by the same token, convoluted or non-linear features hinder spirit movement.

Similarly, corpse roads would run in a straight line over mountains and valleys and through marshes. In towns, they would pass the houses closely or go right through them. The paths end or originate at a cemetery; therefore, such a path or road was believed to have the same characteristics as a cemetery, where spirits of the deceased thrive. As such, corpse roads became intrinsically associated with fairy roads and the supernatural entities which reside there. 

[Image Source]

Sin-Eater

Up until the late 19^th century various villages throughout England maintained a curious ilk of beggar known as a sin-eater. These men would be summoned, naturally by the lure of a handsome pay cheque, to eat bread, partake of alcohol and recite ritual over a fresh corpse, in the belief that by these means the sin-eater would take into his body the sins of those who had died without chance to repent. The sin-eater would receive his pay and the deceased would enjoy an easy ascension to the heavens.

An account of Richard Munslow (d.1906)^[1], the last sin-eater of England, reads thus:

By eating bread and drinking ale, and by making a short speech at the graveside, the sin-eater took upon themselves the sins of the deceased. The speech was written as: “I give easement and rest now to thee, dear man. Come not down the lanes or in our meadows. And for thy peace I pawn my own soul. Amen.

In Funeral Customs (1926) Bertram S. Puckle tells of a Welsh sin-eater in 1825 who, “Abhorred by the superstitious villagers as a thing unclean … cut himself off from all social intercourse with his fellow creatures … he lived as a rule in a remote place by himself, and those who chanced to meet him avoided him as they would a leper. This unfortunate was held to be the associate of evil spirits, and given to witchcraft, incantations and unholy practices; only when a death took place did they seek him out, and when his purpose was accomplished they burned the wooden bowl and platter from which he had eaten the food handed across, or placed on the corpse for his consumption.”^[2]

Unapproved of by the church the practice faded out towards the end of the 19th century.

[Image Source]

Befana

Here comes, here comes the Befana
She comes from the mountains in the deep of the night
Look how tired she is! All wrapped up
In snow and frost and the north wind!
Here comes, here comes the Befana!

One may recall the previous Advent post demonstrating the curious depiction of witches on Christmas cards. Well, Befana may go some way to explaining that little oddity…

In the Italian folklore, Befana is an old woman who delivers gifts to children throughout Italy on Epiphany Eve (January 5) in a similar way Santa Claus.

Legend has it that Befana was approached by the Three Wise Men a few days before the birth of Jesus. They asked for directions to where the Son of God was but Befana did not know. She provided them with shelter for a night, as she was considered the best housekeeper in the village, with the most pleasant home. The men invited her to join them on the journey to find the baby Jesus, but she declined, stating she was too busy with her housework. Later, Befana had a change of heart, and tried to search out the astrologers and Jesus, however, she was unable to find them, so to this day, she is searching for the little baby. She leaves all the good children toys and candy or fruit, while the bad children get coal, onions or garlic.

Another legend takes a slightly darker tone as La Befana was an ordinary woman with a child whom she greatly loved. However, her child died, and her resulting grief maddened her. Upon hearing news of Jesus being born, she set out to see him, delusional that he was her son. She eventually met Jesus and presented him with gifts to make him happy. The infant Jesus was delighted, and he gave Befana a gift in return; she would be the mother of every child in Italy.

Also, popular tradition tells that if one sees Befana one will receive a thump from her broomstick, as she doesn’t wish to be seen. 

Advent Calendar of Oddments 2012: December 21st

(Source: Wikipedia)

Grýla

In Icelandic mythology Grýla is a terrible mountain-dwelling monster and giantess who ventures down from her lair at Christmas time in search of naughty children to cook in a stew and eat, with the vain hope of remedying her insatiable appetite.

According to the legend Grýla has been married three times and her current husband, Leppalúði, lives with her and her their sons, the Yule Lads - mischievous and criminal Santa-type figures who also torment the Icelandic people by harassing sheep, stealing food, and window-peeping - in their cave in the Dimmuborgir lava fields, along with the black Yule Cat.

The legend dates back to the 13th century, though it didn’t become associated with Christmas until the 17th. In 1746 a decree was issued banning the use of Grýla and the Yule Lads to scare children.

[Written with the help of Wikipedia. Image: Grýla by Þrándur Þórarinsson]

Advent Calendar of Oddments 2012: December 19th

A Caganer is a figurine depicted in the act of defecation appearing in nativity scenes in Catalonia and neighbouring areas with Catalan culture. The exact origin of the Caganer is lost, but the caganer is a particular and highly popular feature of modern Catalan nativity scenes. It is believed to have entered the nativity scene by the late 17th-early 18th century, during the Baroque period. The eminent folklorist, Joan Amades, called it an essential piece and the most popular figure of the nativity scene.

My question: More popular than baby Jesus?

Possible explanations can be found here.

Advent Calendar of Oddments 2012: December 5th